About the Role
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.
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
•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
Requirements
•10+ 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)
•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)
Additional Competencies
•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
About the Company
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.
