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Job purpose

• Manage and lead Turf New Product Design team
• Span of control: 20-30 people, including US-based engineers and Japanese Expatriates
• Manager of managers
• Understand Zero Turn Turf market requirements and lead the NPD team to create designs that meet these requirements.
• Create and document Product Specifications.
• Ensure that all products meet product specifications.
• Ensure that all products meet relevant standards and regulations.
• Drive continuous improvement in product design knowledge, skill, and capability.
• Create schedules for product development activities and deliver according to these schedules.

Duties and responsibilities

• Perform management duties for Turf New Product Engineering team including staffing, goal planning, performance evaluation, and employee development. Direct reports can include new and experienced individual contributors, as well as team leaders and managers.
• Manage and execute safety policy for Turf New Product engineering team.
• Develop, mentor, and coach existing and new team members in new product development philosophy and methods, including Scalable Modular Architecture and Design for Manufacturing/Assembly.
• Develop, mentor, and coach subordinate managers in management and leadership skills and employee development.
• Create and share vision and objectives for the New Product team that align with and support TENA’s vision and objectives.
• Responsible for planning and scheduling of new product engineering work to support overall new product development project plans.
• Accountable for delivery of project work according to established schedules.
• Responsible for New Product budget, including annual manpower planning.
• Responsible for ensuring that the New Product team has the right tools to accomplish their objectives.
• Responsible for product line-level collaboration and alignment with other product development stakeholders including Sales & Marketing, Manufacturing, Supply, and Quality, Japanese counterparts, and Japanese leadership.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance with standards and regulations for all Turf vehicles (joint responsibility with Test & Evaluation Manager)
• Responsible for development and maintenance of Product Design Guideline database.
• Responsible for integration of existing Japan-based Design Guidelines, including management of high-quality translations (Japanese to English).
• Responsible for ensuring strong regular collaboration between the New Product Design team and the Test and Evaluation team and Current Product Design team.
• Responsible for creation (directly or by delegation) of Theme Hearing documents, and presentation of said documents to Kubota senior leadership.
• Responsible for creation of and/or contribution to (directly or by delegation) Council documents for individual projects, and presentation of said documents to Kubota senior leadership.
• Report activity status as required to Kubota leadership in North America, Japan, and other regions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the team member must have the ability to work in office, manufacturing and test field environments.
• The team member must also be able to work extended and flexible work hours in order to interface with workers on all shifts as well as international business units and must be physically able to travel domestically and internationally. (Up to 25% of travel).

Essential Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or engineering-related field,
• Experience and demonstrated success leading teams of engineers.
• Experience and demonstrated success developing leadership from within an organization.
• Minimum 10 years of experience developing new products.
• Experience and demonstrated success working in a cross-cultural environment.
• Computer skills including Windows and Google-based programs.
• Knowledge and Application of GD&T
• Knowledge of vehicle systems: structures, hydraulics, electronics, power transmission systems, braking systems, diesel and gasoline engines and related systems,
• Organizational and motivational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in Business or Project Management
• Experience working with mixed Japanese and American teams and leadership.
• Experience with Turf and/or Utility Vehicles and their respective markets.
• Experience with FEA.
• Experience with fatigue analysis.
• Experience with off-road gasoline engines and related systems.
• Experience with off-road diesel engines and related systems.
• Experience with accelerated test methods.
• Experience with Weibull analysis and application.
• Knowledge of Japanese language a plus.
• Microsoft Project or other scheduling tool skills

Working Conditions

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Physical Requirements

Team member uses hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, reach with hands and arms; ascend stairs; balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. It may be necessary to travel between offices in our facilities and it could be in hot, cold, or inclement weather conditions. The team member must occasionally lift up to 50 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.

Direct reports

Exempt and non-exempt employees; managers, engineers, team leaders, technicians