{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"682c3fa7bc20c12505389621","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/682c3fa7bc20c12505389621","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/682c3fa7bc20c12505389621","title":"Engineering Program Manager, NPD","description":"About Turtlebox Audio\n\nThe first Turtlebox was born out of necessity. After breaking every “loud” product on the market through routine outdoor use, the idea of the Turtlebox was born in our garage, not as a business but just for personal use. Nothing else could get the job done.\n\nMost portable speakers aren’t actually meant for the outdoors and can’t withstand the elements, the ones that can aren’t loud enough to be heard. When you’re at the beach or on an ATV, you need sound to carry in order to hear it over the wind, waves, and boat engines, you need a Turtlebox.\n\nWe soon realized that there was a huge need for the Turtlebox among likeminded adventurers and our journey began to set out to make the world’s loudest most rugged outdoor portable speaker.\n\nClick here for a peek inside our workplace!\n\nRole Overview:\nTurtlebox's mission is to engineer the most durable, loudest, and premium sounding speakers on the market. Bringing that to life takes organization, products don't ship unless someone is watching the clock, tracking every open action, and making sure the right people are talking to each other at the right time.\n\nWe're looking for a Project Manager who thrives in that role. This position reports to the Product Director. You own the schedule. You run the cross-functional rhythm. You know when something is off track before the team does, and you know how to move people without friction — because you've built enough trust and credibility that when you ask for a status or flag a risk, people respond. You're not here to babysit; you're here to make a high-performing team even more effective by taking the coordination burden off them so they can do the work they're best at.\n\nThis is a hub-of-communication role. Every active development program runs through you. Engineering, Industrial Design, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product all count on you to keep the program visible, the blockers surfaced, and the schedule honest.\n\nKey Responsibilities:\nOwn the Program — Schedule, Budget, and Risk\n\nBuild and maintain master project schedules for all active NPD programs — from kick-off through EVT, DVT, PVT, and launch; keep them current and surface schedule impacts immediately when reality changes\n\nDefine milestones, task dependencies, and critical path items in collaboration with functional leads\n\nTrack program costs against budget — tooling, NRE, third-party testing, and other program spend — and flag variances early\n\nMaintain a live risk register for every active program — document risks, assess probability and impact, own the mitigation plan, and always be a few steps ahead of the next problem\n\nRun the Cross-Functional Rhythm\n\nOwn the weekly cross-functional project cadence — run efficient meetings, capture decisions and actions, and follow up until they're closed\n\nTrack all open action items across Engineering, ID, Quality, and Supply Chain — know what's on track, what's slipping, and what needs escalation\n\nPrepare clear, accurate project status updates for leadership — no spin, just the facts on where things stand\n\nDrive Gate Reviews — build the agenda, prepare the status package, run the session, and give leadership a straight read on where the program stands, what's at risk, and what decisions need to be made\n\nDrive Accountability Without Authority\n\nHold every function accountable to their commitments — with persistence, professionalism, and the credibility that comes from knowing the details\n\nPush the team to produce their best work without adding unnecessary pressure — you know when to apply heat and when to remove a blocker\n\nEscalate quickly and clearly when something is blocked and can't be resolved at the working level\n\nNever let a missed task or an unclear owner slide — every action has a name and a date\n\nBe the Communication Hub\n\nServe as the connective tissue across Engineering, ID, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management on every active program\n\nMake sure information flows to the people who need it — proactively, not reactively\n\nMaintain a single source of truth for project status, timelines, decisions, and open items\n\nKeep stakeholders informed without burying them — good communication is clear, concise, and timely\n\nBuild and Improve the Process\n\nDevelop and refine the stage-gate process for NPD programs as the team and product line scale\n\nIdentify recurring bottlenecks and systemic gaps in how programs are run — propose and implement improvements\n\nBuild templates, tools, and tracking systems that give the team visibility without adding administrative burden\n\nQualifications:\n\nBachelor's degree in a STEM discipline or Business — Engineering, Physics, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field\n\n5+ years of experience in an engineering program management role within a hardware product development environment\n\nDemonstrated track record managing complex, cross-functional NPD programs through EVT, DVT, PVT, and production launch\n\nExceptional organizational skills — you manage multiple programs simultaneously without dropping anything\n\nNatural communicator who can adapt to engineers, designers, factory partners, and executives in the same day\n\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving priorities — you create structure where it doesn't exist\n\nFirm but collaborative — you get people to deliver without burning relationships\n\nDetail-oriented at the task level, but always tracking the big picture\n\nProficient with project management tools — MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent\n\nPreferred Experience:\n\nPMP certification or equivalent formal project management training\n\nExperience in consumer electronics, audio, or outdoor/ruggedized product development\n\nFamiliarity with hardware development stage-gate processes and build phases (EVT/DVT/PVT)\n\nExperience coordinating with contract manufacturers or offshore suppliers\n\nBackground managing programs that involve regulatory certification timelines\n\nWork Environment and Physical Requirements:\n\nThis position involves working in a traditional work environment, 5 days a week\n\nOccasional lifting and carrying of up to 30lbs\n\nAble and willing to travel 10%, including internationally, for supplier audits and build support\n\nWhy Join Turtlebox?:\n\nBe part of a fast-growing premium outdoor audio brand with strong momentum in wholesale and D2C.\n\nCoworkers who are as passionate about music and adventure as you are.\n\nThrive in an entrepreneurial culture with room for creativity, ownership, and innovation.\n\nComplimentary lunch every day.\n\n12 annual holidays plus Paid Time Off.\n\nComprehensive health benefits & 401k matching.\n\nAwesome discounts to complete your Turtlebox collection!\n\n#LI-DNP\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","company":"Turtlebox","rawCompany":"turtlebox","city":"Houston","state":"TX","isRemote":false,"isActive":true,"createdAt":"2026-10-02T03:45:47.577Z","occupations":[{"code":"13-1082.00","title":"Project Management Specialists","slug":"project-management-specialists"},{"code":"11-9041.00","title":"Architectural and Engineering Managers","slug":"architectural-and-engineering-managers"},{"code":"15-1299.09","title":"Information Technology Project Managers","slug":"information-technology-project-managers"}],"industries":[{"code":"541511","title":"Custom Computer Programming Services","slug":"custom-computer-programming-services"},{"code":"513210","title":"Software Publishers","slug":"software-publishers"},{"code":"334290","title":"Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing","slug":"other-communications-equipment-manufacturing"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Engineering Program Manager, NPD","description":"About Turtlebox Audio\n\nThe first Turtlebox was born out of necessity. After breaking every “loud” product on the market through routine outdoor use, the idea of the Turtlebox was born in our garage, not as a business but just for personal use. Nothing else could get the job done.\n\nMost portable speakers aren’t actually meant for the outdoors and can’t withstand the elements, the ones that can aren’t loud enough to be heard. When you’re at the beach or on an ATV, you need sound to carry in order to hear it over the wind, waves, and boat engines, you need a Turtlebox.\n\nWe soon realized that there was a huge need for the Turtlebox among likeminded adventurers and our journey began to set out to make the world’s loudest most rugged outdoor portable speaker.\n\nClick here for a peek inside our workplace!\n\nRole Overview:\nTurtlebox's mission is to engineer the most durable, loudest, and premium sounding speakers on the market. Bringing that to life takes organization, products don't ship unless someone is watching the clock, tracking every open action, and making sure the right people are talking to each other at the right time.\n\nWe're looking for a Project Manager who thrives in that role. This position reports to the Product Director. You own the schedule. You run the cross-functional rhythm. You know when something is off track before the team does, and you know how to move people without friction — because you've built enough trust and credibility that when you ask for a status or flag a risk, people respond. You're not here to babysit; you're here to make a high-performing team even more effective by taking the coordination burden off them so they can do the work they're best at.\n\nThis is a hub-of-communication role. Every active development program runs through you. Engineering, Industrial Design, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product all count on you to keep the program visible, the blockers surfaced, and the schedule honest.\n\nKey Responsibilities:\nOwn the Program — Schedule, Budget, and Risk\n\nBuild and maintain master project schedules for all active NPD programs — from kick-off through EVT, DVT, PVT, and launch; keep them current and surface schedule impacts immediately when reality changes\n\nDefine milestones, task dependencies, and critical path items in collaboration with functional leads\n\nTrack program costs against budget — tooling, NRE, third-party testing, and other program spend — and flag variances early\n\nMaintain a live risk register for every active program — document risks, assess probability and impact, own the mitigation plan, and always be a few steps ahead of the next problem\n\nRun the Cross-Functional Rhythm\n\nOwn the weekly cross-functional project cadence — run efficient meetings, capture decisions and actions, and follow up until they're closed\n\nTrack all open action items across Engineering, ID, Quality, and Supply Chain — know what's on track, what's slipping, and what needs escalation\n\nPrepare clear, accurate project status updates for leadership — no spin, just the facts on where things stand\n\nDrive Gate Reviews — build the agenda, prepare the status package, run the session, and give leadership a straight read on where the program stands, what's at risk, and what decisions need to be made\n\nDrive Accountability Without Authority\n\nHold every function accountable to their commitments — with persistence, professionalism, and the credibility that comes from knowing the details\n\nPush the team to produce their best work without adding unnecessary pressure — you know when to apply heat and when to remove a blocker\n\nEscalate quickly and clearly when something is blocked and can't be resolved at the working level\n\nNever let a missed task or an unclear owner slide — every action has a name and a date\n\nBe the Communication Hub\n\nServe as the connective tissue across Engineering, ID, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Management on every active program\n\nMake sure information flows to the people who need it — proactively, not reactively\n\nMaintain a single source of truth for project status, timelines, decisions, and open items\n\nKeep stakeholders informed without burying them — good communication is clear, concise, and timely\n\nBuild and Improve the Process\n\nDevelop and refine the stage-gate process for NPD programs as the team and product line scale\n\nIdentify recurring bottlenecks and systemic gaps in how programs are run — propose and implement improvements\n\nBuild templates, tools, and tracking systems that give the team visibility without adding administrative burden\n\nQualifications:\n\nBachelor's degree in a STEM discipline or Business — Engineering, Physics, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field\n\n5+ years of experience in an engineering program management role within a hardware product development environment\n\nDemonstrated track record managing complex, cross-functional NPD programs through EVT, DVT, PVT, and production launch\n\nExceptional organizational skills — you manage multiple programs simultaneously without dropping anything\n\nNatural communicator who can adapt to engineers, designers, factory partners, and executives in the same day\n\nComfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving priorities — you create structure where it doesn't exist\n\nFirm but collaborative — you get people to deliver without burning relationships\n\nDetail-oriented at the task level, but always tracking the big picture\n\nProficient with project management tools — MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or equivalent\n\nPreferred Experience:\n\nPMP certification or equivalent formal project management training\n\nExperience in consumer electronics, audio, or outdoor/ruggedized product development\n\nFamiliarity with hardware development stage-gate processes and build phases (EVT/DVT/PVT)\n\nExperience coordinating with contract manufacturers or offshore suppliers\n\nBackground managing programs that involve regulatory certification timelines\n\nWork Environment and Physical Requirements:\n\nThis position involves working in a traditional work environment, 5 days a week\n\nOccasional lifting and carrying of up to 30lbs\n\nAble and willing to travel 10%, including internationally, for supplier audits and build support\n\nWhy Join Turtlebox?:\n\nBe part of a fast-growing premium outdoor audio brand with strong momentum in wholesale and D2C.\n\nCoworkers who are as passionate about music and adventure as you are.\n\nThrive in an entrepreneurial culture with room for creativity, ownership, and innovation.\n\nComplimentary lunch every day.\n\n12 annual holidays plus Paid Time Off.\n\nComprehensive health benefits & 401k matching.\n\nAwesome discounts to complete your Turtlebox collection!\n\n#LI-DNP\n\n#J-18808-Ljbffr","datePosted":"2026-10-02T03:45:47.577Z","dateModified":"2026-10-02T03:45:47.577Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Turtlebox","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Houston","addressRegion":"TX","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"682c3fa7bc20c12505389621"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/682c3fa7bc20c12505389621"}}