Location: Cardiff
Salary: £48,000 per annum
Full-time | Permanent
We are working on behalf of an established manufacturing business in Cardiff who are looking to appoint an experienced NPD Project Manager to take ownership of multiple product development projects through to production readiness and final release.
This is not a product design role. The products and technical concepts are already developed; the successful candidate will be responsible for project managing the process, bringing structure, accountability and momentum to each project and ensuring every stage is completed, documented, tested and approved before progressing.
We are looking for an experienced professional with 10+ years' experience within manufacturing, product development, NPD/NPI or a closely related technical environment, together with proven people management experience.
The Role
As NPD Project Manager, you will manage several projects simultaneously, coordinating activity across Design, Technical, Production, Quality and external testing partners.
You will be responsible for ensuring projects progress through a structured stage-gate process, with clear milestones, responsibilities, approvals and supporting documentation in place.
Key responsibilities will include:
Managing multiple NPD and product introduction projects from development through to production readiness and release
Creating and maintaining project plans, milestones, priorities and responsibilities
Coordinating internal resources and monitoring progress against agreed timescales and budgets
Managing project risks, issues, dependencies and outstanding actions
Leading regular cross-functional project meetings and ensuring actions are followed through
Coordinating prototype builds, product trials, internal testing and external testing
Working closely with technical teams to ensure testing and validation requirements are completed
Liaising with external testing and certification partners
Ensuring test results, failures and corrective actions are properly documented and resolved
Managing the stage-gate process and ensuring projects only progress once the appropriate approvals are in place
Maintaining clear project documentation and traceability throughout the development process
Coordinating the handover of approved products into Production
Managing and prioritising the workload of a small team of technicians
Providing direction, support and performance management to the team
Reporting project progress, risks and key decisions to senior management
What We're Looking For
To be considered, you will need:
10+ years' relevant experience within manufacturing, engineering, product development, NPD, NPI or a similar environment
Strong project management experience within a manufacturing or technical setting
Previous people management experience is essential
Demonstrable experience managing several projects simultaneously
Experience working with structured development processes such as stage-gate, NPD, NPI or APQP
Strong planning, organisation and documentation skills
Experience coordinating cross-functional teams
An understanding of prototype development, testing, validation and production readiness
The confidence to challenge delays, follow up actions and hold stakeholders accountable
A practical, delivery-focused approach
Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across technical and operational teams
A relevant qualification in project management, engineering or manufacturing would also be beneficial.
The Opportunity
This would suit an experienced Project Manager, NPD Manager, NPI Manager, Technical Project Manager or Product Introduction professional who enjoys taking ownership of complex projects and driving them through to completion.
You do not need to be a product designer. The key requirement is the ability to take an existing product concept and successfully manage the process required to validate, test, approve and transition it into production.
To be considered for this role, please upload your CV or contact Naomi on (phone number removed).
Vibe Recruit is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy
Salary description
£48000.00 - £48000.00 per year