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Senior Manager, Product Development Governance & Process Excellence– Plymouth, MN – Hybrid
Daikin Applied is seeking a seeking a Senior Manager, Product Development Governance & Process Excellence to lead the governance, deployment, continuous improvement, and operational effectiveness of the company's product development framework.
This role is responsible for establishing and sustaining the processes, governance structures, operating rhythms, and standard work that enable disciplined, predictable, and high-quality product development execution across the enterprise.
Working closely with Engineering, Product Management, Product Design Quality, Reliability, Compliance & Safety, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Business Unit leadership, this position drives organizational alignment, improves decision quality, strengthens development readiness, and increases confidence in product launch commitments.
The ideal candidate combines program leadership, process ownership, change management, and organizational influence to build scalable product development practices that improve execution consistency, reduce risk, and accelerate business outcomes.
Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!
Location: Hybrid, Plymouth, MN
Your Responsibilities:
Product Development Governance
- Own and continuously improve the company's product development governance framework, decision-making processes, and stage-gate operating model
- Define and maintain governance standards, readiness expectations, escalation paths, and decision criteria
- Establish consistent operating mechanisms that support effective execution across multiple product development portfolios
- Facilitate governance reviews and readiness assessments that enable informed, evidence-based decisions
Process Ownership & Excellence
- Define and maintain product development standard work, templates, deliverables, workflows, and operating procedures
- Ensure processes remain aligned with business objectives, organizational capabilities, and product development best practices
- Identify systemic process gaps and lead cross-functional improvement initiatives to increase effectiveness and efficiency
- Drive simplification, standardization, and continuous improvement of development processes
Deployment, Adoption & Change Leadership
- Lead deployment of new processes, tools, governance models, and operating practices across the organization
- Develop implementation and sustainment strategies that drive long-term adoption
- Train, coach, and support teams on process expectations, governance requirements, and best practices
- Foster a culture of disciplined execution, accountability, and continuous improvement
Portfolio Visibility & Execution Effectiveness
- Develop metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms that provide visibility into execution performance, milestone achievement, risks, dependencies, and organizational readiness
- Monitor process health and organizational performance to identify opportunities for improvement
- Provide leadership with actionable insights that support effective prioritization and decision-making
- Improve predictability, transparency, and confidence in product development execution
Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with Engineering, Product Management, Quality, Reliability, Compliance, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to drive alignment and execution excellence
- Facilitate collaboration across organizational boundaries to improve development outcomes
- Lead cross-functional teams in resolving execution challenges and implementing process improvements
- Influence stakeholders at all levels through leadership, communication, and data-driven decision making
Strategic Program Leadership
- Lead strategic initiatives that strengthen product development capabilities and organizational effectiveness
- Support evolution of the company's product development operating model
- Identify opportunities to improve execution speed, decision quality, launch readiness, and overall development performance
- Drive initiatives that improve enterprise-wide product development maturity
Your Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Operations, or a related technical discipline
- 8+ years of experience in Program Management, Product Development, Engineering Operations, Quality, Process Excellence, or related disciplines
- Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives
- Strong understanding of product development processes, governance models, and project execution methodologies
- Experience driving process improvement and organizational change
- Excellent communication, facilitation, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
Your Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, or related field
- PMP certification or equivalent program management credentials
- Experience leading product development governance, stage-gate, or lifecycle management processes
- Experience developing and deploying enterprise-level business processes and operating models.
- Working knowledge of product development quality practices including:
- Requirements Management
- Design Reviews
- Risk Management
- DFMEA
- DVP&R
- Product Validation
- Reliability Engineering
- Compliance & Product Safety
- Experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, or other complex engineered product environments
Your Benefits:
Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:
- Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
- 401K retirement plan with employer match
- Paid time off and company paid holidays
- Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law
- Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service
Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,800 - $193,900 in Minnesota plus a 20% bonus. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.
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If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied!
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Operations, or related technical discipline
- 8+ years experience in Program Management, Product Development, Engineering Operations, Quality, Process Excellence, or related disciplines
- Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives
- Strong understanding of product development processes, governance models, and project execution methodologies
- Experience driving process improvement and organizational change
- Excellent communication, facilitation, leadership, and stakeholder management skills
- Master's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, or related field
- PMP certification or equivalent program management credentials
- Experience leading product development governance, stage-gate, or lifecycle management processes
- Experience developing and deploying enterprise-level business processes and operating models
- Working knowledge of Requirements Management
- Working knowledge of Design Reviews
- Working knowledge of Risk Management
- Working knowledge of DFMEA
- Working knowledge of DVP&R
- Working knowledge of Product Validation
- Working knowledge of Reliability Engineering
- Working knowledge of Compliance & Product Safety
- Experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, or other complex engineered product environments
Daikin Applied Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Daikin Applied and has not been reviewed or approved by Daikin Applied.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Hourly, unionized roles benefit from published wage scales and overtime opportunities that reinforce perceptions of fair pay. Transparent minimums in collective agreements help anchor expectations across covered grades.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Sales roles can access uncapped commission structures that elevate total compensation. Variable earnings opportunities in certain positions contribute to stronger total‑pay potential.
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Healthcare Strength — The benefits suite includes medical/pharmacy, dental, vision, wellness programs, and an Employee Assistance Program. Comprehensive core health coverage supports a solid baseline of wellbeing protection.
Daikin Applied Insights
What We Do
Daikin Applied delivers superior air quality and energy efficiency to every solution with innovation in advanced technology, IoT, and next generation compressors. Daikin branded products, solutions, and services are sold through a global network of dedicated sales, service, and parts offices. Daikin Applied’s parent company, Daikin Industries, Ltd. reports revenues in excess of $20 billion and has more than 67,000 employees worldwide, making it the largest HVAC manufacturer in the world. Daikin Industries, Ltd. has more than 90 production sites worldwide and works with customers in more than 150 countries.
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