Research & Product Development Manager

R&D And Product Development

Hollman is built on innovation. As the world's largest manufacturer of wood and laminate lockers, we continue to lead the industry by developing new products, expanding design capabilities, and leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies. We are seeking a highly driven R&D and Product Development to lead and execute our research and development programs from concept through commercial launch. This role is responsible for owning the R&D roadmap, driving cross-functional alignment, managing stage-gate processes, and ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned to business objectives. The ideal candidate brings strong program and product management experience within a manufacturing environment, with the ability to translate customer and market insights into successful product outcomes. Join a stable, growth-oriented company offering competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. Become part of the Hollman team!

Key Responsibilities

• R&D Program Management
• Product Management
• Vendor Management Prototyping & Development
• Cross-Functional Coordination & Documentation

R&D Program Management

• Own the master R&D roadmap maintain 2026 priorities, active projects, and pipeline sequencing
• Develop and manage detailed project plans with milestones, resource dependencies, and stage-gate checkpoints
• Drive stage-gate progression lead gate reviews, ensure criteria are met, and make go/no-go recommendations to leadership
• Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and schedule threats surface them early with proposed solutions
• Own project scope, budget alignment, and timeline integrity from kickoff through launch
• Lead cross-functional project teams across Engineering, Operations, Sales, and Marketing drive accountability without direct authority
• Produce and present a weekly R&D program status dashboard to leadership
• Maintain a live risk register and action log across all active programs

Product Management

• Gather and synthesize Voice of Customer inputs from Sales, architects, specifiers, and key clients to inform product decisions
• Translate market and customer input into structured product requirements and feature briefs
• Collaborate with R&D leadership to prioritize the product roadmap based on market data, revenue opportunity, and feasibility
• Own the go-to-market handoff from R&D to Sales and Marketing product positioning inputs, feature messaging, and launch readiness
• Define and document product success criteria before development begins
• Track post-launch product performance and feed learnings back into future roadmap decisions

Vendor Management Prototyping & Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact for vendors engaged in initial prototyping and development
• Issue clear inputs to vendors: specifications, drawings, material requirements, and delivery timelines
• Manage vendor outputs: track prototype delivery, evaluating sample quality, document feedback, and drive revision cycles
• Maintain complete vendor communication logs, commitment records, and deliverable documentation
• Evaluate vendor performance and escalate issues to leadership with context and recommendations
• Support vendor selection for new prototyping needs in coordination with Engineering and Procurement

Cross-Functional Coordination & Documentation

• Facilitate project kickoff meetings, document scope decisions, and distribute action items
• Ensure R&D outputs decisions, specs, status updates are communicated clearly across all departments
• Write and maintain product briefs, launch checklists, competitive comparisons, and executive summaries
• Maintain a well-organized shared system for all R&D project and product documentation
• Support alignment across CPQ, ERP, and product costing as new products move through development

Job Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in program management, product management, or new product development in a manufacturing or engineered-product environment strongly preferred
• Proven track record managing complex, multi-phase projects from concept through commercial launch
• Experience with managing small teams.
• Experience with stage-gate or phase-gate NPD processes
• Demonstrated ability to gather customer and market inputs and translate them into product requirements matrix with Industrial Design, Marketing and Products Team.
• Strong vendor management experience issuing specs, tracking prototypes, and managing development cycles
• Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills you drive alignment without direct authority
• Proficiency with project management and ERP tools
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in manufacturing, millwork, furniture, cabinetry, or architectural/specification-driven products
• Experience in B2B markets hospitality, government, corporate, or institutional
• Exposure to go-to-market planning: product positioning, product management, launch readiness.
• Familiarity with competitive analysis, or market research
• PMP, CAPM, or equivalent certification is a plus but not required