Program Manager - Marine Innovation

At Polaris Inc. , we have fun doing what we love by driving change and innovation. We empower employees to take on challenging assignments and roles with an elevated level of responsibility in our agile working environment. Our people make us who we are, and we create incredible products and experiences that empower us to THINK OUTSIDE. Job SummaryPolaris is seeking an experienced Program Manager to join the marine innovation team.

The Program Manager leads the engineering, quality, purchasing, test and evaluation, and product development team through all phases of the product development cycle and functions as a key leader of team and strategy. ResponsibilitiesPlans, directs and monitors design and development programs from concept to production to achieve product objectives within a specified time schedule. Leads cross-functional teams of internal and external resources to meet program, product, & portfolio objectivesEstablishes and manages the platform program plans to support Long Range Product Plan (LRPP) developed with the product planning team.

Champions and utilizes the Polaris product development process and project management best practices within the team to execute programs. Plans, conducts, and manages overall projects for given platforms. Reviews progress and evaluates results relative to quality, timing, and costs. Establishes targets for platform project costs, part costs, and tool costs. Tracks and reports out on the costs throughout the project. Coordinates and oversees platform development, testing, design, and validation efforts to ensure project objectives are met per schedule and budgetDevelops and manages planned changes and cost enhancement opportunities for applicable platforms.

Tracks technology development trends, industrial design trends, and competitive product development trends to help identify and anticipate future opportunities and competitive threats. Report out to product groups, management teams, and Polaris’ senior management to keep them abreast of these trends and their implications. Develops, maintains & manages the platform strategies and aligns to the division’s product strategy and manufacturing and sourcing strategy. Coordinates volume forecasts with purchasing and manufacturing for adequate planning cycles. Responsible for staff development and transfer of knowledge to the team. Signs off at Gate reviews when applicable, major milestones and project status meetings.

Participate in customer focus groups and VOC development. Resolve and Implement corrective action on field issues and warranty. Support product introductions to press, dealers, and consumers. Other duties as assigned. Skills & KnowledgeExcellent project planning, execution, and organization skills with attention to detail. Strong communication skills (written & oral) at all levels including Exec communications. Strong project management, facilitation, and presentation skills at all levels. Ability to challenge the status quo with a focus on efficiencyAbility to lead direct reports and indirectly motivate & influence others at all levels.

Self-directed with bias toward action and the ability to quickly move work ahead with teams. Professionalism, strong customer service skills, and strong interpersonal skills. Ability to coordinate and complete analysis work and interpret the results with SMEs. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects within tight deadlines and firm schedules. Effective decision-making, problem-solving, and negotiating skills. Ability to embrace a rapidly changing environment and pivot quickly on priorities. Ability to wear multiple hats and willingness to cover multiple responsibilities in a small team environment. Education / ExperienceBachelor’s degree in Engineering required. MBA or Master’s degree preferred.

Minimum of 8+ years of experience in Polaris businesses preferred. Extensive budget management experienceExperience and knowledge across multiple Polaris front-end and/or back-end functions. Demonstrated record of success in previous Polaris leadership positions. Strong process orientation with a general understanding of Lean principles such as value stream mapping, kaizen, 5S, standard work, etc. Strong working knowledge of Polaris products and technologiesStrong Polaris process familiarity & strong internal Polaris networkWORKING CONDITIONSSome travel required