Program Manager

Job Description:

The Program Manager will lead end-to-end NPI (New Product Introduction) programs, coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver products on schedule, within budget, and to required quality and regulatory standards. This role owns program plans, milestones, risk management, vendor coordination, and executive status reporting, ensuring smooth transitions from concept through design, validation, and launch.

Key Responsibilities

NPI Program Ownership & Planning

    Develop and maintain integrated program plans, schedules, and milestone tracking

    Define program scope, deliverables, dependencies, and success criteria

    Establish cadence (program meetings, steering updates, stage-gate reviews)

    Manage budgets at the program level (forecasting, tracking, change control)

Cross-Functional Program Leadership

    Coordinate Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory/Compliance, Supply Chain,    and Operations

    Drive issue resolution and decision-making across stakeholders

    Facilitate requirements flow-down and alignment across teams

    Ensure correct handoffs between development, verification/validation, and launch

Technical & Process Management (as applicable)

    Track design progress, prototype builds, verification/validation activities, and readiness reviews

    Support creation and maintenance of project artifacts (e.g., requirements, traceability summaries)

    Ensure manufacturability considerations are incorporated early (DFM/DFA)

Vendor & Supply Chain Coordination

    Coordinate supplier development, qualification, lead-time management, and scheduling

    Track supplier deliverables, change notifications, and escalation needs

    Support sourcing strategies and mitigate supply constraints for new launches

Program Reporting & Executive Communication

    Provide regular updates to leadership (status, risks, mitigations, schedule health)

    Maintain dashboards and stage-gate documentation

    Present tradeoffs (scope/schedule/cost/quality) and recommend actions

Change Management & Continuous Improvement

    Manage change requests and impacts to scope, schedule, cost, and quality

    Track action items, decisions, and closure documentation

    Identify process improvements to reduce cycle time and improve predictability

Required Qualifications

• 10 plus years managing end-to-end NPI programs or equivalent product introduction / development programs
•   Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive accountability to milestones
•   Strong skills in project/program planning, scheduling, and risk management
•   Experience with stage-gate or structured development processes (preferred)
•   Strong proficiency with MS Project / Smartsheet / Jira / Asana or similar tools
•   Excellent written and verbal communication for executive-level reporting
• Mandatory: Fluent English and Spanish (written and spoken), other European languages are a plus.
•   Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Preferred Qualifications

  Experience coordinating verification/validation, design reviews, and readiness assessments

  Familiarity with change control and document management practices

  PMP or similar certification (or willingness to obtain)

Competencies / Skills**:

  Program structure and follow-through

  Risk-based decision-making

  Stakeholder management and conflict resolution

  Data-driven tracking and transparent reporting

  Ability to operate effectively in ambiguity and tight timelines

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.