NPD Program Manager, WasteLAB

NPD Program Manager, WasteLAB

Work Mode: Onsite

Location: Onsite, four days per week – Kohler, WI

Job Summary:

The Program Manager, WasteLAB & Innovation for Good offers a unique opportunity to serve as a senior execution leader at the center of Kohler’s WasteLAB and Innovation for Good agenda, driving impactful, sustainability-focused programs from concept through launch. The Program Manager will own and orchestrate a global, cross‑functional portfolio of new products, capital investments, and strategic initiatives, ensuring disciplined delivery through the Kohler Business Development Process while maintaining the agility required in fast‑growing, lean environments. This position is ideal for a results-driven leader who thrives in ambiguity, influences across functions and regions, and enables outsized impact by translating strategy into execution, aligning investments to priorities, managing risk, and providing clear, decision‑ready insights to senior leadership.

Responsibilities: 

 Portfolio & Program Leadership

• Own the integrated WasteLAB and IfG project portfolio, aligning scope, timing, and investment to strategic priorities and global capacity constraints.
•  Maintain a consolidated portfolio roadmap with clear interdependencies, milestones, and leadership decision points across regions

 KBDP Stage-Gate Governance & Execution

• Lead projects through KBDP stage-gate governance, ensuring high-quality gate deliverables and decision-ready materials.
•  Own project charters, schedules, business cases, capital requests, and financial assumptions from concept through launch.

Execution Accountability

•  Establish integrated project plans with clear ownership, milestones, and dependencies across geographically distributed teams.
•  Actively track commitments, drive accountability to deadlines, and escalate issues with clear impact assessments and recommended paths forward.

Risk & Issue Management

• Identify and manage risks, assumptions, constraints, and dependencies across programs operating in dynamic environments.
•  Partner cross-functionally and globally to remove barriers and sustain project momentum.

Flexibility to Support Project Needs

• Adapt level of process, rigor, and documentation to align with KBDP expectations while meeting the specific needs, scale, and maturity of each project.
•  Provide hands-on support where required, shifting between strategic planning, gate preparation, and detailed execution to ensure outcomes are achieved.

KBDP Maturity & Continuous Improvement

• Reinforce consistent use of KBDP tools, deliverables, and operating cadence while maintaining pragmatism appropriate for lean, fast-moving teams.
•  Enable teams to focus effort on high-impact work, driving disproportionate results relative to team size.

Executive & Stakeholder Communication

• Deliver concise, action-oriented updates on portfolio health, KBDP gate status, risks, and required leadership decisions.
•  Serve as a trusted execution partner to WasteLAB and IfG leadership.

Skills/Requirements

• Four-year degree required; Business, Engineering, or Operations preferred.
• 7+ years of experience leading complex, cross-functional programs using KBDP or comparable stage-gate development processes.
• Demonstrated ability to flex approach, solve problems pragmatically, and deliver results in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.
• Strong executive communication skills and ability to influence across geographies and functions.

#LI-Onsite
#LI-BV1

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

We believe in supporting you from the moment you join us, which is why Kohler offers day 1 benefits. This means you’ll have access to your applicable benefit programs from your first day on the job, with no waiting period. The salary range for this position is $138,150 - $217,050. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s experience, their education, and the work location. In addition, this position is eligible for a performance bonus/variable incentive compensation.

Why Choose Kohler?
We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With more than 30,000 bold leaders across the globe, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.

About Us
It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability or status as a protected veteran. If, as an individual with a disability, you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact kohlerjobs@kohler.com.  Kohler Co. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.