Engineering Project Manager

We are Generac, a leading energy technology company committed to powering a smarter world.

Over the 60 plus years of Generac’s history, we’ve been dedicated to energy innovation. From creating the home standby generator market category, to our current evolution into an energy technology solutions company, we continue to push new boundaries.

The Project Manager II – New Product Development leads cross‑functional delivery for product development initiatives, including new product introductions, cost reduction, technology integration, and lifecycle product support. This role is accountable for turning product vision and requirements into clear, defensible delivery plans and driving those plans through execution. 

The Project Manager designs and owns the project plan, ensuring work is structured, visible, and grounded in realistic capacity, risk, and dependencies. They bring clarity in ambiguity, orchestrate cross‑team collaboration, and “engineer the win” by removing blockers, driving decisions, and keeping teams focused on the highest‑impact work. 

This position works closely with product management, engineering, service, manufacturing operations, supply chain, marketing, quality, IT, and finance, and is responsible for leading projects that support a Generac business area / product line. Success in this role is measured by on-time delivery, predictable execution, high‑trust collaboration, and strong outcome ownership.

This position is located onsite in Waukesha, WI (alternate Pewaukee, WI).

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Own the overall success of the project and lead the cross-functional team through delivery 
• Design, maintain, and communicate structured delivery plans that are grounded in real capacity, dependencies, and risk. 
• Implement product requirements into project scope, design, and product realization requirements in partnership with product management and engineering. 
• Lead key project execution for new product development and related initiatives, ensuring alignment across engineering, product, operations, and other stakeholders. 
• Plan and execute multiple large, complex projects to meet or exceed schedule, cost, scope, and quality commitments. 
• Collaborate closely with engineering, materials, and operations to ensure part readiness, build readiness, and smooth plant builds. 
• Understand, communicate, and document project budgets and financials, driving achievement of target product cost for Generac and life-cycle cost for customers. 
• Execute and continuously improve the Generac Development Process (GDP), using milestones and design reviews as key drivers of product development progression. 
• Proactively manage risk and “engineer the win” by: 
• Defining and driving risk and mitigation plans 
• Surfacing risks, assumptions, and misalignments early, before they become urgent issues 
• Facilitating options, trade-offs, and decisions that keep projects moving forward 
• Manage key project attributes and decisions such as make vs. buy (globally), shipping and logistics cost, and bidding processes. 
• Identify, evaluate, and document lessons learned; share best practices with project team members and apply them to future projects. 
• Work effectively with international teams, including off-hour meetings and occasional international travel as needed to support project success. 

Minimal Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience. 
• 7 years of progressive work experience in engineering, project engineering, or brand/product management of equipment, machinery, or other powered products. 
• 5 years of project management experience in product development of industrial/commercial equipment, machinery, or other powered products.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated project management experience with cross‑functional teams, including full‑system product releases. 
• Proven track record of success with stage‑gate product development processes. 
• PMP or equivalent certification with proven in‑practice application of project management principles.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Demonstrated ability to bring clarity and structure to ambiguous, cross‑functional work, and to confidently challenge unclear assumptions. 
• Proven strength in designing, explaining, and defending project logic (dependencies, trade‑offs, and critical path), not just managing task lists. 
• Ability to drive accountability with tact and emotional intelligence—escalating issues constructively while maintaining high‑trust relationships across teams. 
• Mindset of outcome ownership: reflects on misses, applies learnings, and continually improves planning and execution practices. 
• Advanced ability to deliver results while working simultaneously on multiple projects, balancing resources, timing, and quality of outcomes. 
• Advanced ability to lead the transformation from product requirements into a product design and realization plan that meets or exceeds product and business goals. 
• Demonstrated ability to influence people and teams who are not direct reports. 
• Advanced team‑building and leadership skills. 
• Strong understanding of engineering technical issues/needs, manufacturing, supply chain, service, customer service, financial, sales, and marketing as related to product design and development. 
• Advanced communication skills. 
• Self‑driven, highly motivated, flexible, and with a high capacity to learn. 

Generac is committed to fair and equity compensation practices. The salary range for this role based in Waukesha, WI is $110,300 - $143,400. Final compensation for this role will be determined by various factors such as a candidate's relevant work experience, skills, certifications and geographic location. This position includes a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision plans; life, long-term disability, flexible, spending and health savings accounts, accrued paid time off, eight paid holidays in 401(k) retirement benefits.

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Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  On occasion the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend or reach above the shoulders. The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 - 50 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision and ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel.

“We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”