NPD Manager

The New Product Development (NPD) Manager for Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) is responsible for overseeing the product development lifecycle of autonomous haulage solutions, from initial concept through to production and deployment in the field. This role involves coordinating cross-functional teams from engineering and product management, managing project timelines and schedules, ensuring product quality, and driving continuous improvement in the development and deployment of AHS. The AHS NPD Manager ensures that new AHS products meet the stringent requirements of the mining industry, are delivered on time, and align with the company’s strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

AHS Product Development Lifecycle Management:

• Lead and manage the end-to-end development process of the autonomous haulage systems, including concept development, system design, hardware and software integration, prototyping, testing, and production deployments.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, including timelines, resource allocation, and budgets specific to AHS projects.
• Ensure all project milestones are met, from initial design reviews to final system deployment in the field.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Coordinate cross-functional teams, including systems engineering, software development, mechanical and electrical engineering, manufacturing, quality assurance, procurement, and field operations, to ensure seamless AHS development.
• Facilitate regular project meetings, ensuring clear communication and alignment between all stakeholders involved in AHS development.
• Resolve conflicts and remove obstacles that could impact the successful development and deployment of AHS.

Quality Assurance and Compliance:

• Work closely with quality assurance and regulatory teams to ensure that new AHS products meet all relevant industry standards, specifications, and regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and track the testing and validation of AHS components and systems, ensuring they meet performance, safety, and reliability standards and requirements.
• Manage the documentation of all design changes, testing results, and compliance certifications related to AHS products.

Risk Management:

• Maintain overall product and project risk registers to ensure safe, timely development of the AHS system.
• Identify potential risks in the AHS product development process and work with teams to develop mitigation strategies to address them.
• Monitor project risks throughout the development lifecycle and adjust plans as necessary to minimize impact, especially in the context of system safety and reliability.

Continuous Improvement:

• Drive continuous improvement in the AHS development process, identifying opportunities to reduce time-to-market, lower costs, and enhance product quality.
• Implement lessons learned from previous AHS projects to improve future development efforts.
• Develop and implement best practices for NPD processes and methodologies specific to autonomous haulage systems.

Field Deployment and Support Coordination:

• Oversee the deployment of new AHS products in the field, ensuring that all systems are fully operational and meet customer expectations and ultimately closing the loop on the product development lifecycle.
• Work closely with field operations and support teams to resolve any issues that arise during the initial deployment of ‘first of class’ AHS products.

PMO Team Leadership:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product development professionals focused on AHS, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence.
• Provide regular performance feedback, set clear goals, and support the professional growth of team members.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team and across the organization, with a focus on AHS development.

Key relationships:

Internal

• Engineering and development teams
• Product team members
• Quality and safety teams

External

• PC managers
• Customer project managers
• Epiroc CC support personnel
• Control Room operators
• Mining operational personnel

Work experience:

Essential:

• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in AHS product management and development in the mining industry, with at least 2 to 3 years with an OEM
• Experience with managing internal and external relationships
• Mining Operational Experience
• Software engineering experience
• Product Development experience
• New Product Introduction experience