JOB SUMMARY
The Innovation Project Manager leads the planning, prioritization, and execution of the company's innovation portfolio. This role combines product management and project management responsibilities to move concepts from opportunity identification and business-case development through product development, launch, and ongoing lifecycle support.
The Innovation Project Manager establishes structure, visibility, and accountability across innovation initiatives; coordinates resources and competing priorities; and partners with Innovation & Strategy, Product Management, Sales, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations, and external partners. The role also serves as a product and market subject matter expert, supports customer and sales education, and keeps senior leadership informed of project status, risks, decisions, and resource needs.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities. Projects/duties may be modified/changed/added/deleted as needed.
- Lead, maintain, and advance the company's portfolio of innovation projects, along with additional projects added throughout the year.
- Establish and manage an enterprise-wide innovation project portfolio, including project intake, prioritization, sequencing, ownership, milestones, dependencies, resources, budgets, risks, and decision points.
- Develop portfolio plans that align innovation and product initiatives with corporate objectives, customer needs, revenue opportunities, and strategic priorities.
- Translate approved concepts into clear project charters, scopes, schedules, deliverables, success measures, and cross-functional execution plans.
- Drive projects from ideation and evaluation through development, testing, regulatory and quality review, commercialization, launch, and post-launch transition.
- Gather, evaluate, and prioritize product, customer, end-user, market, and business requirements; help define product vision, value proposition, and execution strategy.
- Provide subject matter expertise on NAR products to all sales pillars to support product knowledge, customer conversations, and commercial success.
- Partner with Sales, Product Management, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure priorities, responsibilities, and timelines are understood and executed.
- Facilitate project reviews, working sessions, and stage-gate decisions; document key decisions, action items, owners, deadlines, and required escalations.
- Maintain accurate project records and executive-level dashboards showing status, progress, risks, resource constraints, budget considerations, and next steps.
- Identify project barriers and competing priorities early; develop recommendations, drive resolution, and escalate decisions when needed to maintain progress.
- Develop strong working relationships with senior leadership, customers, end users, strategic vendors, technology partners, contractors, and other external stakeholders.
- Bring product development expertise to new initiatives, including regulatory pathways, quality requirements, investment needs, development timelines, testing, commercialization, and personnel requirements.
- Research, analyze, and consolidate technical, market, customer, competitive, and financial information to support business cases, product plans, and product files.
- Support the identification and evaluation of innovative technologies, products, partnerships, and commercialization opportunities that align with company strategy.
- Promote collaborative decision-making by incorporating stakeholder input into practical plans that balance business needs, customer value, compliance, timing, and available resources.
- Assist directly with project execution and deliverables when needed to keep priority initiatives moving.
- Other duties as assigned.
ACCOUNTABILITY
- Accountable for the visibility, prioritization, coordination, and progress of the innovation project portfolio.
- Accountable for providing leadership with timely, accurate project information and clear recommendations regarding priorities, resources, risks, tradeoffs, and decisions.
- Responsible for coordinating cross-functional work and holding assigned action owners accountable for committed deliverables and timelines.
- Research, analyze, and consolidate information to develop product business plans and support completion of required product files.
AUTHORITY
- Authorized to establish project-management standards, required reporting, meeting cadence, documentation expectations, and escalation processes for assigned initiatives.
- No direct reports
QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Life Science, Project Management, or a related field preferred.
Experience:
- Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in prehospital medicine, project management, product management, product development, innovation, or a related field,
Specific Characteristics:
- Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects and a portfolio of initiatives with competing priorities, dependencies, and resource requirements.
- Knowledge of product development in an acute care, emergency medical, military, tactical, or related healthcare environment preferred.
DEMANDS
Time and Availability
- Must be able to work at least 40 hours each week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or some variation thereof.
- Hybrid onsite in Greer, SC preferred.
Travel
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 40%, including travel by airplane and car for extended periods.
- This position is preferred to be based onsite at North American Rescue's Greer, South Carolina facility.
Physical
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a typical office employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Frequently required to hear and talk.
- Frequent use of hands for keyboard usage.
- Frequent sitting, standing, and walking.
- Frequent reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, and lifting and/or moving up to 75 lbs.
- Frequent travel by car and plane.
- Sometimes requires working in field environment (outdoors, assisting, observing military training exercises).
Environment
- Must be able to work in a moderately loud work environment.
DISCLAIMERS
AAP/EEO Statement
North American Rescue provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. Further, the company takes affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment without regard to any of these characteristics. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated. |
NAR
Sep 28, 2026