Senior Manager, Product Development Governance & Process Excellence

Join the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025!

Senior Manager, Product Development Governance & Process Excellence – Plymouth, MN – Hybrid

Daikin Applied is seeking a seeking a Senior Manager, Product Development Governance & Process Excellence to lead the governance, deployment, continuous improvement, and operational effectiveness of the company's product development framework. This role is responsible for establishing and sustaining the processes, governance structures, operating rhythms, and standard work that enable disciplined, predictable, and high-quality product development execution across the enterprise. Working closely with Engineering, Product Management, Product Design Quality, Reliability, Compliance & Safety, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Business Unit leadership, this position drives organizational alignment, improves decision quality, strengthens development readiness, and increases confidence in product launch commitments. The ideal candidate combines program leadership, process ownership, change management, and organizational influence to build scalable product development practices that improve execution consistency, reduce risk, and accelerate business outcomes. Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor! Location: Hybrid, Plymouth, MN

Your Responsibilities:

Product Development Governance

• Own and continuously improve the company's product development governance framework, decision-making processes, and stage-gate operating model
• Define and maintain governance standards, readiness expectations, escalation paths, and decision criteria
• Establish consistent operating mechanisms that support effective execution across multiple product development portfolios
• Facilitate governance reviews and readiness assessments that enable informed, evidence-based decisions

Process Ownership & Excellence

• Define and maintain product development standard work, templates, deliverables, workflows, and operating procedures
• Ensure processes remain aligned with business objectives, organizational capabilities, and product development best practices
• Identify systemic process gaps and lead cross-functional improvement initiatives to increase effectiveness and efficiency
• Drive simplification, standardization, and continuous improvement of development processes

Deployment, Adoption & Change Leadership

• Lead deployment of new processes, tools, governance models, and operating practices across the organization
• Develop implementation and sustainment strategies that drive long-term adoption
• Train, coach, and support teams on process expectations, governance requirements, and best practices
• Foster a culture of disciplined execution, accountability, and continuous improvement

Portfolio Visibility & Execution Effectiveness

• Develop metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms that provide visibility into execution performance, milestone achievement, risks, dependencies, and organizational readiness
• Monitor process health and organizational performance to identify opportunities for improvement
• Provide leadership with actionable insights that support effective prioritization and decision-making
• Improve predictability, transparency, and confidence in product development execution
• Improve predictability, transparency, and confidence in product development execution

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Engineering, Product Management, Quality, Reliability, Compliance, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to drive alignment and execution excellence
• Facilitate collaboration across organizational boundaries to improve development outcomes
• Lead cross-functional teams in resolving execution challenges and implementing process improvements

Strategic Program Leadership

• Lead strategic initiatives that strengthen product development capabilities and organizational effectiveness
• Support evolution of the company's product development operating model
• Identify opportunities to improve execution speed, decision quality, launch readiness, and overall development performance
• Drive initiatives that improve enterprise-wide product development maturity

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business, Operations, or a related technical discipline
• 8+ years of experience in Program Management, Product Development, Engineering Operations, Quality, Process Excellence, or related disciplines
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives
• Strong understanding of product development processes, governance models, and project execution methodologies
• Experience driving process improvement and organizational change
• Excellent communication, facilitation, leadership, and stakeholder management skills

Your Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, or related field
• PMP certification or equivalent program management credentials
• Experience leading product development governance, stage-gate, or lifecycle management processes
• Experience developing and deploying enterprise-level business processes and operating models.
• Working knowledge of product development quality practices including: Requirements Management Design Reviews Risk Management DFMEA DVP&R Product Validation Reliability Engineering Compliance & Product Safety
• Experience in HVAC, industrial equipment, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, or other complex engineered product environments

Your Benefits:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance
• 401K retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off and company paid holidays
• Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law
• Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service
• Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,800 - $193,900 in Minnesota plus a 20% bonus. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which this position falls. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements, including verification of employment history, education, background screening, and drug testing where permitted by law. Safety-sensitive positions may require cannabis (marijuana) testing. All testing and employment decisions will comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied! Building a more sustainable planet. Creating comfortable, healthy spaces for people to connect, live and work. Perfecting the air we share. Daikin Applied is not just an HVAC company. We're part of a global technology powerhouse that uses Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) to transform the world. We're innovators and leaders. Not only as a business, but as individuals. And we are honored to say we were named to Forbes' America's Best-In-State Employers list for 2025, ranking #1 in Minnesota for Manufacturing and Engineering. You see, we're not just innovating on the outside. We're innovating on the inside to unlock people's unlimited potential and bring out the diverse and groundbreaking ideas that will help us solve today's most pressing challenges. That's why Daikin offers more than a job. Here's where you'll be heard, be valued, belong -- and be able to make your mark. Over the past several years, we’ve proudly welcomed several organizations into our family, each bringing unique strengths, deep expertise, and talented teams. As we continue to grow, these partners play a vital role in expanding our capabilities and shaping the future of our organization. Whichever Daikin Applied company you join, you’ll be part of a unified, supportive environment where you can make an impact and grow your career.