NPI Build Manager

Job Description

Who You’ll  Work With

Partner with Hardware Engineering and cross-functional teams to establish and execute CM build schedules, ensure full build readiness, remove critical roadblocks, and hold internal partners and CMs accountable for delivery against aggressive Time-to-Market targets.

What You’ll do

Own end-to-end execution and operational accountability for New Product Introduction (NPI) builds at assigned Contract Manufacturing (CM) sites, driving programs from Prototype through successful market launch, including TQ (Transfer Qualification) builds and EFT (Early Field Trial) units. 

Responsibilities:

• Drive alignment with Hardware Engineering on NPI milestones, build quantities, EFT requirements, priorities, and Time-to-Market commitments.
• Own and drive CM build schedules across multiple concurrent programs, managing priorities and capacity to deliver against committed dates, quantities, and milestones.
• Drive full NPI build readiness, ensuring materials CTB, capacity, staffing, tooling, equipment, manufacturing, test, engineering, debug, and rework resources are available.
• Ensure NPI Material Managers align material availability and CTB with the NPI build schedule and Supply Commit Review (SCR).
• Monitor upcoming Arista Build Start Requirements (ABSR) and proactively address readiness gaps before they impact the build.
• Drive CM execution of NPI and TQ builds, taking immediate corrective action on schedule variance and enforcing recovery plans for at-risk builds.
• Serve as the single point of accountability and escalation for operational issues impacting NPI execution, driving rapid cross-functional resolution of critical-path roadblocks.
• Identify opportunities to pull in build schedules, facilitate capacity and allocation decisions between NPI and production, and escalate when additional resources or leadership support are required.
• Lead cross-functional alignment across Hardware Engineering, NPI Materials, Manufacturing Engineering, Test Engineering, Planning, Quality, POMs, NPI Engineering, and CM teams to deliver build targets.
• Partner with POMs to secure product-specific manufacturing, test, quality, and operational requirements impacting build execution.
• Maintain executive visibility into build status, risks, recovery actions, and resolution paths, ensuring committed builds are completed successfully and on time.
• Enforce CM accountability for NPI execution, own NPI-related inputs and scoring metrics for the CM QBR, and drive corrective actions for recurring execution issues.
• Drive lessons learned, standard best practices, and process improvements to improve build readiness, schedule predictability, and CM execution across assigned sites.
• Ensure mass production PO readiness at Pre-Pilot (PPLT).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Manufacturing, or related relevant field.
• 5–8 years of experience in NPI, manufacturing, operations, program management, or contract manufacturing.
• Experience managing NPI builds and working directly with Contract Manufacturers.
• Strong understanding of NPI processes, build readiness, manufacturing operations, and schedule management.
• Proven ability to drive execution, manage competing priorities, and deliver against aggressive Time-to-Market targets.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to hold internal and external teams accountable.

Additional Information