NPD Project Manager

COMPANY BACKGROUND:

SLINGCO is an award-winning supplier of high-quality tools and accessories for the installation and handling of cable, with over 40 years of industry heritage. We serve customers in over 70 countries worldwide from our head office in Lancashire, UK, and bases in Georgia, USA, and Bengaluru, India.

Our products are used in safety critical applications for a wide range of markets. With sectors including oil & gas, civil engineering, aerospace, transport, utilities, marine/offshore and the military – there’s no room for error. That’s why we do everything with the utmost care and precision.

We design and manufacture to the highest specifications and test to destruction. If our products don’t meet and exceed the most stringent national and international standards, they’re not good enough for our customers.

At Slingco, our goal is to create innovative high-quality products that our customers can depend on, whilst providing a positive experience for our customers and our employees. Every aspect of our work, culture and commitment to innovation is driven by our core values.

BENEFITS:

• Salary Dependent on Experience

• 30 days’ annual leave including Bank Holidays, rising to 35 with service

• Option to buy 5 additional holidays

• Your birthday off

• Hybrid working options

• Enhanced employer pension contribution

• Life assurance cover x4 salary

• Gym membership

• Cycle to work scheme

• Employee loan scheme

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The NPD Project Manager is responsible for leading Slingco's new product development projects from approved concept through to successful production launch. Working within the NPD programme, the role coordinates cross-functional teams across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Procurement and Commercial to deliver products to the agreed scope, quality, cost and timescale. A central part of the role is applying a strong manufacturing and engineering background to ensure new products are designed for efficient, repeatable manufacture and are launched smoothly into production.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Product Development (NPD)

• Take ownership of assigned NPD projects from approval through to launch, working with the Product team to translate customer and market requirements into a clear project scope and product specification

• Lead projects through each stage of the Slingco stage-gate process, including:

• Building and maintaining integrated project plans, timelines and critical path

• Defining and controlling project budgets, capital investment and forecast spend

• Preparing gate review packs and project updates for the Programme Director and steering group

• Managing risk, issue, change and decision logs, including DFMEA and PFMEA actions

• Coordinating design verification, validation testing and product certification

• Lead cross-functional project teams across Engineering, Quality, Procurement, Operations, Sales and Marketing, setting clear priorities and holding owners to account for delivery

• Manage industrialisation with Manufacturing Engineering and suppliers, including tooling, fixtures, first article inspection, PPAP and production trials

• Drive design for manufacture and assembly (DFM/DFA), value engineering and cost-down activity to achieve target product cost and margin

Technical & Field Support

• Maintain a sound technical understanding of Slingco products, their manufacturing processes and their end-use applications

• Lead structured root-cause problem solving (8D, 5 Whys, Ishikawa) on technical, quality and supply issues arising during development, launch and early production

• Act as the main point of contact for project status, providing clear, regular reporting to stakeholders and the senior leadership team

• Ensure a smooth handover of launched products into business-as-usual operations, including post-launch reviews and lessons learned

Standards & Compliance

• Ensure new products meet all applicable product standards, regulatory requirements and customer specifications

• Ensure technical files, drawings, BOMs, work instructions and operation and maintenance manuals are complete, controlled and released before launch

• Uphold the company's quality management system and health, safety and environmental requirements throughout the project lifecycle

Training & Outreach

• Coordinate launch readiness, including product training materials for internal teams, distributors and end users

• Support the Sales and Marketing teams with launch planning, product training and customer presentations

• Attend customer visits, supplier visits and trade shows as required.

• Required Technical Knowledge

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and competing priorities

• Proficient in project management software (MS Project, Smartsheet or similar)

• Proficient using MS Office software, particularly Excel and PowerPoint

• Strong leadership, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with excellent written and verbal communication at all levels

• Self-starter, motivated, able to prioritise workload, and capable of working with limited direction

• Ability to work hands-on with engineering, production and suppliers on the shop floor to resolve issues quickly

• Familiarity with CAD (Autodesk Inventor or similar) and ERP/PLM systems (desirable)

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

Required

• Experience managing new product development projects in a manufacturing or engineering environment, with a record of delivering products to market on time and on budget

• Proven experience applying a formal stage-gate or phase-gate NPD/NPI process in a manufacturing environment, from concept through to production launch

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and how design decisions affect cost, quality and lead time

• Practical application of APQP tools — DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, PPAP / first article inspection and design verification planning

• Sound commercial and financial awareness: project budgeting, capital expenditure, product costing, business cases and return on investment

• Working knowledge and demonstrated experience applying PRINCE2, APM or PMP — recognised project management frameworks and methodologies

• Formal project management qualification (PRINCE2, APM PMQ or PMP)

• Degree (BEng/BSc) in Mechanical, Manufacturing or Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline, desired. Candidates with equivalent experience in an engineering or manufacturing environment will be considered in lieu of the degree

Preferred

• Familiarity with UKCA / CE marking and relevant product standards (e.g. BS EN, IEC, ASTM) for engineered products

• Familiarity with ISO 9001 — Quality management systems, including design and development controls

• Familiarity with APQP / PPAP — Advanced Product Quality Planning and Production Part Approval Process, or an equivalent new-product quality planning methodology

• Lean / Six Sigma training