The New Product Introduction (NPI) Engineering Tech Lead leads the transition of complex hardware from engineering development into repeatable production. This role is the technical and operational owner for build readiness, cross-functional execution, and issue closure—connecting design engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, suppliers, and service.
The right candidate is hands-on, highly accountable, and comfortable driving multiple programs through ambiguity. They bring discipline to bills of materials (BOMs), engineering changes, build plans, manufacturing risk, and launch decisions while staying close to the hardware and the people building it.
What you will own
End-to-end NPI execution for assigned products or subsystems, from prototype builds through production release and ramp.
Integrated schedules, readiness reviews, risks, dependencies, decisions, and recovery plans across cross-functional teams.
Product configuration integrity, including BOM completeness, effectivity, revision control, and engineering change implementation.
Manufacturing readiness: process definition, tooling, fixtures, work instructions, test coverage, training, capacity, and supplier readiness.
Rapid containment, root-cause analysis, and durable corrective action for build, quality, and field issues.
Pay Range: $ 145,000 - $170,000 Annually (DOE)
Why Nova:
Certified Great Place to Work: Recognized between 2022-2026 based on employee feedback, and consistently ranked among the Top 30 companies in our industry for workplace excellence.
Customer-Focused Environment: Be the face of Nova. We value strong relationships, and you’ll work closely with customers to understand their needs and deliver high-impact solutions.
Culture of Continuous Learning: At Nova, growth never stops. You'll work with cutting-edge metrology tools, work with top engineers, and participate in ongoing industry training programs.
Role Responsibilities
Translate product requirements and engineering designs into robust, documented manufacturing processes.
Plan and lead prototype, pilot, and production builds; define objectives, entry criteria, staffing, material readiness, and exit criteria.
Drive design for manufacturability and assembly (DFM/DFA) reviews and ensure risks are resolved before release.
Create and maintain accurate BOMs, routings, drawings, specifications, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation in product lifecycle management (PLM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
Own NPI action registers and communicate status, decisions, and escalation needs clearly to technical teams and leadership.
Partner with suppliers and internal operations to resolve component, process, quality, yield, and capacity constraints.
Lead structured problem solving using data, failure analysis, root-cause methods, and corrective and preventive actions.
Define and monitor launch indicators such as build completion, first-pass yield, defects, cycle time, rework, and issue closure.
Support production after release and establish a clear handoff to sustaining engineering, manufacturing, quality, and service teams.
Mentor engineers and technicians while raising the standard for execution, documentation, and ownership.
What success looks like
Launches are predictable because build plans, decisions, risks, and ownership are visible and actively managed.
Released configurations are accurate, complete, and executable on the manufacturing floor and across the supply chain.
Manufacturing problems are contained quickly, solved at the root cause, and prevented from recurring.
Design and operations teams make better tradeoffs earlier because manufacturability, quality, cost, and service needs are represented.
The organization can scale the product with clear processes, strong documentation, and effective handoffs.