Senior Program Manager

BW Converting Technologies is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead strategic New Product Development (NPD) programs that bring new machinery and technology to market within our brand portfolios.

Alongside NPD, this role also leads Derivative Product Development (DPD) work, such as enhancements and adaptations of existing products.

NPD program leadership is the core of the role.

In this role, you will lead cross‑functional teams through the full development lifecycle, from concept through Gate Reviews to successful market launch, using a disciplined Stage‑Gate process.

You own the integrated program plan and the orchestration of every function required to deliver the program against its business case.

You are the partner who holds the program accountable to its business case alongside the Product Manager, managing scope, schedule, and risk against it, and bringing a Gate‑ready decision package to each review.

You will work closely with product management, marketing, engineering, supply chain, operations, field service, and sales teams to translate the product vision into an executable program, manage risk and resource trade‑offs across workstreams, and deliver to performance and quality targets.

Additionally, you will play a key role in developing and auditing the Stage‑Gate process, ensuring the correct tools are used to help create a true culture of innovation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead end‑to‑end new product development programs for OEM machinery, holding the program accountable to its business case from concept through launch.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams to ensure alignment on product vision and execution.
• Partner with Product Management as the owner of the program plan; keep the two aligned and flag early when scope, schedule, or risk no longer fit the case.
• Own Gate Review readiness for the program: assemble the decision package, ensure each gate criterion is genuinely met rather than waved through, and present a clear recommendation to advance, hold, or stop.
• Develop comprehensive program plans with clear milestones, dependencies, and critical paths.
• Integrate Voice of Customer and market input into program decisions, working with Product Management to keep development anchored to validated customer needs.
• Own resource and priority trade‑offs across the workstreams within a program, deciding or escalating conflicts so the program keeps moving toward its committed outcome.
• Manage program budgets and resource allocation against the program business case.
• Ensure the program meets its cost and margin targets as part of the business case, building design‑to‑cost discipline into development from the start rather than treating cost as a later clean‑up.
• Facilitate risk assessment and mitigation strategies throughout the development process, assessing risk against the business case and not only against the schedule.
• Create and maintain detailed documentation for all program activities and decisions.
• Serve as the primary liaison between stakeholders, providing regular status updates and escalating issues appropriately.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts of the BW Converting Technologies stage‑gate process, tools, templates, and best practices common to program management.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Project Management, or related technical degree (required).

MBA, PMP, or relevant advanced degree (preferred). 7+ years of experience in Stage‑Gate and program or project management, new and derivative product development or related roles.

• DESIRED EXPERIENCE
• Stage‑gate development processes and product lifecycle management
• Leading complex NPD projects to market against a defined business case
• Leading cross‑functional and cross‑regional teams and managing stakeholders to deliver complex OEM products on time and within budget
• Working with Product Management on business cases and operating Gate governance with discipline.
• Working with Product Management on value creation in the respective market
• Manufacturing processes and engineering principles
• Familiar with building Stage‑Gate tools and methodologies
• Lean manufacturing principles or continuous improvement methodologies
• Industry standards and regulatory requirements within product portfolio

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong Stage‑Gate and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Expertise in NPD and Stage‑Gate program management.
• Familiarity with VAVE and Lean/Six Sigma is a plus.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with cost analysis, data‑driven decision‑making, and financial forecasting.
• Proficient in program management tools (e. g., MS Project, Smartsheet, JIRA, Trello) and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Power Point, Word).
• Leadership and team‑building abilities, with a focus on driving collaboration and results.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and manage change effectively in a fast‑paced environment.
• KEY TRAITS
• Results‑oriented, with a strong drive to deliver measurable business impact.
• Problem‑solving mindset, with the ability to identify innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Ability to prioritize and manage competing demands, balancing strategic objectives with operational constraints.
• High attention to detail and a commitment to quality and continuous improvement.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Opportunity to shape the future of our product lineup and drive innovation
• Collaborative team environment focused on engineering excellence and operational efficiency
• Chance to see your projects transform from concepts to market‑ready machines
• Professional development and advancement opportunities
• Competitive compensation and benefits package

If you’re passionate about bringing new products and solutions to market from business case through launch and can move fluidly between strategic NPD and pragmatic derivative work, we want to hear from you.

Our culture and commitment to our people is what sets us apart.

We foster an environment of mutual respect, integrity, and unconditional interest in the individual and collective success of our BW family members.

• #LI‑RB1
• COMPANY

Company: BW Converting Throughout Barry‑Wehmiller, we hold ourselves to a unique measure of success: by the way we touch the lives of people.

It’s that vision that drives us in creating world‑class experiences and solutions for our customers and unites us around our common goal—to use the power of our business to build a better world.

When your experience hits the close of what the role lists, or is close to it.

We know that what sets us apart can often lead to innovation, excellence, and meaningful work – therefore we encourage people with different backgrounds to apply to our roles.

Please let us know if we can make adjustments for you during the interview process.

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