Product Development Project Manager

Description STX is seeking a Product Development Project Manager to support the development, testing, certification, and commercialization of protective sporting goods products, with a primary focus on lacrosse helmets, women’s lacrosse goggles/headgear, and protective padding. This role is centered on project management, cross-functional coordination, testing, certification, and supplier communication. The successful candidate will work closely with Product Management, Design, R&D, Quality, Laboratory, Operations, factories, suppliers, third‑party test laboratories, and certification organizations to keep development programs organized and moving forward. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple technical development projects at once. A background in product development, sporting goods, protective equipment, or other physical consumer products is strongly preferred, but this is not a traditional engineering role. Key Responsibilities Project Management & Cross-Functional Leadership Lead and coordinate development programs for protective equipment including lacrosse helmets, women’s lacrosse goggles/headgear, chest protection, shoulder pads, and other protective products. Build and maintain project schedules, milestones, testing plans, certification timelines, and key deliverables. Coordinate cross-functional teams across Product Management, Design, R&D, Quality, Laboratory, Operations, Manufacturing, and external partners. Lead regular project meetings and maintain clear ownership of action items, decisions, and deadlines. Identify schedule risks, missing information, resource constraints, and development issues before they impact key project milestones. Ensure teams remain aligned on product requirements, testing needs, certification timing, production readiness, and launch expectations. Provide clear project status updates to R&D and company leadership. Help improve project-management processes, documentation, and communication across the R&D organization. Protective Equipment Development Coordinate development activities for products such as lacrosse helmets, protective cages, women’s lacrosse goggles, chest protection, shoulder pads, and other impact‑protection products. Work with Design, R&D, and Product Management to translate product goals into clear development & validation plans. Coordinate prototype builds, sample reviews, fit evaluations, impact testing, wear testing, and product validation activities. Track product iterations and ensure changes are clearly communicated to internal teams and manufacturing partners. Support evaluation of product performance, comfort, fit, durability, & manufacturability. Help coordinate corrective actions when testing or product evaluations identify performance issues. Testing & Validation Work closely with laboratory personnel to plan and schedule product testing. Ensure test samples, fixtures, documentation, specifications, and acceptance criteria are available when required. Coordinate testing related to impact performance, retention systems, coverage, fit, durability, structural performance, and other product‑specific requirements. Review test results with the appropriate technical team members and help define follow‑up actions. Maintain visibility of open testing items and ensure retesting or corrective work is completed on schedule. Organize and maintain test records, product-development history, approvals, and key project decisions. Certification & Compliance Coordinate product certification activities with third‑party laboratories, certification organizations, and governing bodies. Support certification programs associated with protective equipment standards, including organizations such as NOCSAE, SEI, ASTM, and other applicable standards bodies. Manage certification schedules, test sample submissions, documentation, product changes, and follow‑up communication. Ensure certification requirements are incorporated into the development schedule early enough to avoid launch delays. Coordinate with internal Quality and R&D teams when certification questions or technical issues arise. Maintain organized certification and compliance documentation. Supplier & Factory Coordination Serve as a primary project contact for factories, suppliers, and development partners. Communicate development timing, sample needs, testing requirements, product changes, and open technical issues. Track tooling changes, prototypes, test samples, materials, factory trials, approvals, and production‑readiness activities. Ensure manufacturing partners understand project priorities and have the information needed to meet development deadlines. Follow up on open items and communicate potential delays or risks internally. Support factory trials, sample reviews, and production-development activities as Requirements Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Product Development, Project Management, Business, Engineering, Industrial Design, Manufacturing, or a related field. 3+ years of experience in project management, product development, program management, or a related role. Demonstrated experience managing cross-functional projects involving multiple departments or technical disciplines. Experience coordinating team members and stakeholders who may not directly report to the position. Strong project planning, scheduling, organization, and follow-through. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to manage multiple active development programs and competing priorities. Comfortable communicating with factories, suppliers, test laboratories, certification bodies, and other external partners. Ability to understand and communicate technical information at a project‑management level. Preferred Qualifications Experience in sporting goods, protective equipment, helmets, safety products, or other physical consumer products. Experience with product testing, certification, regulatory requirements, or quality systems. Experience working with international manufacturers and suppliers. Familiarity with standards organizations such as NOCSAE, SEI, ASTM, CSA, or similar organizations. Experience managing products involving impact testing, fit validation, structural testing, or protective-performance requirements. Formal project‑management training or certification such as PMP, CAPM, or similar. Experience with project‑management platforms such as Monday.com, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or similar tools. Industrial design, graphic design, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or product‑visualization experience is a plus. Familiarity with CAD and manufacturing processes is helpful but not required. #J-18808-Ljbffr STX