Associate Director - New Product Introduction

Overview

The Associate Director - New Product Introduction is responsible for delivering all aspects of New Product Introduction throughout the design, planning and control of manufacturing processes and systems. It involves using engineering principles to optimize production, ensure high-quality products, additionally, will also support production efficiency.

This position will be ensuring that our teams continue to develop and implement best practices that emphasize manufacturing defects prevention, provide for continuous improvements, and continue to meet product quality standards. Responsible for ensuring our manufacturing processes are high capabilities, standardized across all suppliers and locations, and executed to deliver quality products without delays in new product introductions or products transfers. This position will be also responsible for providing leadership to NPI team.

Responsibilities

• Strategy and Development:
• Creation and implementation of best practice manufacturing vision, strategy, policies, processes and procedures to aid manufacturing and quality performance.
• Contribute to new business initiatives and projects and review and communicate the impact on New Product Introduction and Manufacturing capabilities.
• General and Task Management:
• Lead NPI development strategy, designing clear requirements, standards and practices.
• Ensure early and proactive engagement of NPI team, integrated into all new products and transfers, and completed in a timely fashion.
• Design and Optimization: coordinate the design and improvements of manufacturing processes, systems, and equipment.
• Design for Manufacturing and Assembly: participates and drive product at early design stage to optimize product design from manufacturing perspective. This should include mistake proofing principles.
• Test optimization and standardization: effective and efficient testing, repeatable and reproduceable tests, testers and fixtures. This includes the test coverage optimization and approval. Standardized test process and equipment across all suppliers and locations [examples: leakage testing, spray tests, etc.]
• Production overside: monitor, reviews and evaluates the result of production process to ensure quality and compliance.
• Quality Control: ensure products meet specified quality standards is a crucial aspect of their work. Conduct P-FMEA. Manufacturing Quality Plan creation.
• Automation and Technology: integrate and optimize automated systems, robotics, and other advanced technologies in manufacturing.
• Cost Reduction: strive to minimize production costs through process optimization and resource management.
• Sustainability: consider environmental impact and sustainability aspects in manufacturing processes.
• Work with Engineering to define design supporting process capabilities that are required to meet product and process requirements, so those capabilities can be developed.
• Manage all new product launches to ensure designs or manufacturing and manufacturing processes are capable of delivering the required quality standards and consumer satisfaction
• Educate team members across the organization regarding the NPI function and their role in ensuring standards are met.
• Promote and drive the use of proper tools such as Design for Manufacturing, Design For Assembly, Design for Testing, P-FMEA, etc.
• Instill importance of manufacturing assessment from product safety perspective
• Monitor and report to management product NPI risks and any issues and impacts
• Manage NPI Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Stay current and up to date on any changes or developments that may affect the manufacturing and potential product field issues
• Conduct benchmarking studies to determine best practices and future trends for manufacturing and testing
• People Management:
• Manage, coach and develop a high performing NPI team that meets agreed upon objectives which delivers best practice results, adds value and drives continuous improvements
• Develop long term resource plan that aligns with strategic business objectives
• Provide leadership, direction, management and development to the NPI team
• Set department objectives/KPIs and reviews and assess ongoing performance of direct reports
• Report on achievement of targets and identify any actions required
• Manage and lead the team, ensuring adequate staffing levels, managing holiday schedules, recruitment, training, development, appraisal, attendance, disciplinary issues and daily supervision to maximize efficient productivity
• Motivates and coaches the team to operational excellence
• Monitors and manages the completion of tasks and ensure good performance and records on appropriate systems
• Consistently promotes high standards through personal example and roll these out through the team so that each member of the team understands the standards and behaviors expected of them
• Communicate KPIs from the strategic annual plan on a regular basis so that each employee is aware
• Relationship Management:
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure optimal performance
• Facilitate delivery and compliance with the company strategy
• Communicates with stakeholders the impact of potential effects on engineering design and development. Recommends solutions.
• Participates in cross-functional leadership teams in the development of new strategies or process changes for meeting production, NPI and consumer requirements
• Self-Management:
• Anticipates and overcomes obstacles
• Takes ownership for team's work and team development
• Is self-aware, resilient, and open to change
• A self-starter, motivated
• focused, target driven with a positive can-do attitude
• Performs all other related duties as necessary.
  

Qualifications

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION:

• Degree minimum: Bachelor
• Specific concentration: Engineering,
• Experience level:
• 20 years experience in NPI and Manufacturing Engineering
• 10 years experience in People's Management
  

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION: Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering

• Consumer products experience or equivalent
• Six Sigma certification (preferred)
• Working knowledge of mechanical
• Basic knowledge of injection molding and Electronics
  
  

Specialized Training Or Skills Required

• Good written and verbal communications.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Demonstrated team-building skills in an environment of managing through influence and persuasion rather than direct control.
• Proactive rather than reactive to problems.
• Willing to extensively travel to existing and potential suppliers.
  
  

This position requires the ability to manage the flow of data, perform analysis, generate summary reports and communicate by voice or data while being connected in the office, at home or while travelling by laptop or mobile device regularly without regard to time zone or day of the week.