Product Development Manager Jobs in Indiana
Product Development Manager jobs in Indiana concentrate in advanced manufacturing, medical devices, consumer goods, and industrial automation, with demand spread from entry-level project leads to senior directors overseeing full product lifecycles. Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Kokomo anchor the largest share of openings, where established employers like Eli Lilly, Cummins, and Zimmer Biomet consistently recruit for this role. New product introduction, stage-gate process management, and cross-functional team leadership are the specialties appearing most often in Indiana listings. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 29+ Product Development Manager jobs
At Fort Wayne Metals, we specialize in producing top-quality wires, cables, and assemblies designed to enhance and safeguard lives. Our products are used in everything from our customers’ stents and surgical robots to aircraft and automobiles. At our essence, we are thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers, leveraging our knowledge of materials to create customized solutions for our customers.
Join us in our dedication to making a tangible impact through our advanced materials and superior products.
Provide technical support and/or people leadership through the concept, design, development, and refinement of new wire and cable products and assembly processes. Engineering of fixtures, component design, and processes to produce assemblies meeting customer functional requirements. Mentor the career growth of Product Development Technicians.
Education & Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technical field, preferred.
- MBA, Master’s degree or advanced technical training in engineering, preferred
- Strong background (5 - 10 years) in and high proficiency with a variety of manufacturing methods/technologies such as machining, forming, stamping, welding; experience in miniature cable manufacturing or wire processing and experience in discrete part engineering, preferred..
Job Responsibilities
- Responsible for the innovation and validation of new products and processes while complying with the product realization requirements of ISO-13485 and Fort Wayne Metals (FWM) Quality Systems.
- Work closely with internal suppliers of wire and cable product inputs to deliver innovative solutions to customers’ functional assembly needs.
- Develop product development protocols including testing needs and full functional characterization of products.
- Engage with customers to determine the needs, specifications, development options, and support sales in quotes during the development of new products.
- Coordinate with Quality and Process Engineering to submit First Article Inspection Reporting (FAIR) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) documents. May include Control Plans, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Process Flow Diagrams (PFD), and Inspection Plans.
- Conduct Capability Analysis on development products to refine process or provide recommendations to Process Engineering for improvement.
- Conceptualize new ideas through computer modeling and prototypes.
- Construct and execute Design of Experiments (DOE).
- Develop engineering tools for quicker product development.
- Apply statistical analysis to new product development activities to understand underlying trends and refine design or processes.
- Document and compile Application Files to capture the development activities and for new products.
- Coordinate with Drafting, Tooling, and Machine Shop for development of new tooling, fixtures and components associated with new product development activities.
- Coordinate the transfer of new products to production, providing appropriate documents, such as Work Instructions, and training to Process Engineers, Process Technicians, or Operators as needed.
- Remain current with a detailed understanding of agency and regulatory requirements, customer products and the competition; Research and evaluate new technologies for use in current and future products. Periodically conduct updates on these topics for the worldwide sales force.
- Review and provide feedback to FWM Customer Service Associates (CSAs) and Product Managers regarding customer specifications utilizing Salesforce.
-
Technical career path
- Conduct technical seminars and/or webinars in conjunction with commercial team
- Work collaboratively with universities to expand knowledge of materials and wire/assembly processes
- Research into product characterization to create mathematical models for use in product development
- Leadership career path
- Mentor, train, and supervise Product Development Technicians and their work schedules and priorities.
- Perform other duties as requested by management.
Skills Needed
- Must be able to work with minimal supervision and be capable of self-checking for completeness and accuracy of work produced.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Project management and execution.
- Critical thinking.
- Detail Oriented.
- Problem solving ability.
- Mechanical aptitude.
- Strong Presenter.
Working Conditions & Physical Requirements
- Fast paced production environment.
- Exposure to WDO and WDO 10 LV (oils), hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfuric acid solution (50% acid/50% water) Steris (industrial soap), and time spent working around machinery.
- Travel between facilities required
- Travel approximately 5% of the time
Benefits & Wellness Resources
The health and wellbeing of Fort Wayne Metals is a critical part of our culture. In addition to offering medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance options to suit your needs, we’d like to share some of the other fundamental resources that make Fort Wayne Metals a premier place to work:
Physical Wellness
-
Parkview Wellness Coach
- Ready to assist with your physical and nutritional wellness needs.
- Gym Facilities
- 4 onsite gym locations as well as discounts for regional gym facilities
- Health Challenges
- From pickleball tournaments, sponsored races and sports leagues, to participating in the YMCA’s Corporate Challenge, we have a variety of fun ways to stay active.
Mental Wellness
-
When You Need to Talk
- 5 sessions of counseling are available to you and all members of your immediate household at no cost.
- Relaxing Time-Off
- Qualify for Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay on your first day of employment.
Social Wellness
-
Epic Events
- From TinCaps Night to family days at the zoo, we offer multiple activities throughout the year for employees and their families.
- Employee Resource Group
- A voluntary, employee-led group formed to bring employees together and centered around a common interest or identity.
Professional Wellness
-
Grow Your Career
- We offer many opportunities to continue your development and growth.
- Performance Feedback
- Receive regular and constructive feedback from your manager and peers to help you grow and improve.
Financial Wellness
-
Annual Profit Sharing & 401k matching
- Dropping dollars into your 401k. When you contribute 7%, we’ll contribute 3.5%.
- Quarterly Bonus
- When we perform well, everyone benefits! Receive discretionary bonuses each quarter based on company performance.
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Getting your first degree? Great! Whatever your major, we’ll help pick up the tab!
- Your Money Line
- Employer-provided 1:1 financial guidance, education, & tools – so you can stress less about money and enjoy greater stability & confidence.
Notice to Employees and Applicants:
New to the area? Fort Wayne is a wonderful place to live, work and play. Check out some of the great things our region has to offer!
- Greater Fort Wayne Inc. | Building a Nationally Recognized Economy
- The Fort Wayne Visitors Center
- Relocating - NEI
At Fort Wayne Metals, we specialize in producing top-quality wires, cables, and assemblies designed to enhance and safeguard lives. Our products are used in everything from our customers’ stents and surgical robots to aircraft and automobiles. At our essence, we are thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers, leveraging our knowledge of materials to create customized solutions for our customers.
Join us in our dedication to making a tangible impact through our advanced materials and superior products.
Provide technical support and/or people leadership through the concept, design, development, and refinement of new wire and cable products and assembly processes. Engineering of fixtures, component design, and processes to produce assemblies meeting customer functional requirements. Mentor the career growth of Product Development Technicians.
Education & Experience Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a technical field, preferred.
- MBA, Master’s degree or advanced technical training in engineering, preferred
- Strong background (5 - 10 years) in and high proficiency with a variety of manufacturing methods/technologies such as machining, forming, stamping, welding; experience in miniature cable manufacturing or wire processing and experience in discrete part engineering, preferred..
Job Responsibilities
- Responsible for the innovation and validation of new products and processes while complying with the product realization requirements of ISO-13485 and Fort Wayne Metals (FWM) Quality Systems.
- Work closely with internal suppliers of wire and cable product inputs to deliver innovative solutions to customers’ functional assembly needs.
- Develop product development protocols including testing needs and full functional characterization of products.
- Engage with customers to determine the needs, specifications, development options, and support sales in quotes during the development of new products.
- Coordinate with Quality and Process Engineering to submit First Article Inspection Reporting (FAIR) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) documents. May include Control Plans, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), Process Flow Diagrams (PFD), and Inspection Plans.
- Conduct Capability Analysis on development products to refine process or provide recommendations to Process Engineering for improvement.
- Conceptualize new ideas through computer modeling and prototypes.
- Construct and execute Design of Experiments (DOE).
- Develop engineering tools for quicker product development.
- Apply statistical analysis to new product development activities to understand underlying trends and refine design or processes.
- Document and compile Application Files to capture the development activities and for new products.
- Coordinate with Drafting, Tooling, and Machine Shop for development of new tooling, fixtures and components associated with new product development activities.
- Coordinate the transfer of new products to production, providing appropriate documents, such as Work Instructions, and training to Process Engineers, Process Technicians, or Operators as needed.
- Remain current with a detailed understanding of agency and regulatory requirements, customer products and the competition; Research and evaluate new technologies for use in current and future products. Periodically conduct updates on these topics for the worldwide sales force.
- Review and provide feedback to FWM Customer Service Associates (CSAs) and Product Managers regarding customer specifications utilizing Salesforce.
-
Technical career path
- Conduct technical seminars and/or webinars in conjunction with commercial team
- Work collaboratively with universities to expand knowledge of materials and wire/assembly processes
- Research into product characterization to create mathematical models for use in product development
- Leadership career path
- Mentor, train, and supervise Product Development Technicians and their work schedules and priorities.
- Perform other duties as requested by management.
Skills Needed
- Must be able to work with minimal supervision and be capable of self-checking for completeness and accuracy of work produced.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Project management and execution.
- Critical thinking.
- Detail Oriented.
- Problem solving ability.
- Mechanical aptitude.
- Strong Presenter.
Working Conditions & Physical Requirements
- Fast paced production environment.
- Exposure to WDO and WDO 10 LV (oils), hydrogen, nitrogen, sulfuric acid solution (50% acid/50% water) Steris (industrial soap), and time spent working around machinery.
- Travel between facilities required
- Travel approximately 5% of the time
Benefits & Wellness Resources
The health and wellbeing of Fort Wayne Metals is a critical part of our culture. In addition to offering medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance options to suit your needs, we’d like to share some of the other fundamental resources that make Fort Wayne Metals a premier place to work:
Physical Wellness
-
Parkview Wellness Coach
- Ready to assist with your physical and nutritional wellness needs.
- Gym Facilities
- 4 onsite gym locations as well as discounts for regional gym facilities
- Health Challenges
- From pickleball tournaments, sponsored races and sports leagues, to participating in the YMCA’s Corporate Challenge, we have a variety of fun ways to stay active.
Mental Wellness
-
When You Need to Talk
- 5 sessions of counseling are available to you and all members of your immediate household at no cost.
- Relaxing Time-Off
- Qualify for Paid Time Off and Holiday Pay on your first day of employment.
Social Wellness
-
Epic Events
- From TinCaps Night to family days at the zoo, we offer multiple activities throughout the year for employees and their families.
- Employee Resource Group
- A voluntary, employee-led group formed to bring employees together and centered around a common interest or identity.
Professional Wellness
-
Grow Your Career
- We offer many opportunities to continue your development and growth.
- Performance Feedback
- Receive regular and constructive feedback from your manager and peers to help you grow and improve.
Financial Wellness
-
Annual Profit Sharing & 401k matching
- Dropping dollars into your 401k. When you contribute 7%, we’ll contribute 3.5%.
- Quarterly Bonus
- When we perform well, everyone benefits! Receive discretionary bonuses each quarter based on company performance.
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Getting your first degree? Great! Whatever your major, we’ll help pick up the tab!
- Your Money Line
- Employer-provided 1:1 financial guidance, education, & tools – so you can stress less about money and enjoy greater stability & confidence.
Notice to Employees and Applicants:
New to the area? Fort Wayne is a wonderful place to live, work and play. Check out some of the great things our region has to offer!
- Greater Fort Wayne Inc. | Building a Nationally Recognized Economy
- The Fort Wayne Visitors Center
- Relocating - NEI
See All 29 Product Development Manager Jobs in Indiana
Find roles in Indiana that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsProduct Development Manager Jobs by City in Indiana
Where Indiana roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Product Development Manager Job Market in Indiana
A snapshot from current Indiana openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Manufacturing
- Chemicals & Materials
- Transportation & Logistics
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
What Indiana Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in product development manager jobs across Indiana.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or a related technical or scientific field
- Five or more years of product development or product management experience
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams through a full product lifecycle
- Proficiency with stage-gate or agile product development frameworks and project management tools
- Experience working with manufacturing, supply chain, or regulatory teams on new product introduction
- Strong ability to translate customer and market requirements into actionable product specifications
Product Development Manager Jobs in Indiana: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a product development manager in Indiana?
Most Indiana employers require a bachelor's degree in engineering, business, chemistry, or a closely related field, followed by several years in product development, project engineering, or a related technical role. No state-issued license is required to work as a product development manager in Indiana. Candidates who advance typically build experience inside Indiana's manufacturing, medical device, or life sciences sectors, where employers like Eli Lilly, Cummins, and Cook Medical promote from within or recruit candidates with documented new product introduction results.
Which companies hire product development managers in Indiana?
Employers hiring product development managers in Indiana right now include Eli Lilly, Avero, and CVS Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Indiana's deep base of advanced manufacturing, medical device, and industrial equipment companies means openings appear consistently rather than only during hiring surges.
Which Indiana cities have the most product development manager jobs?
Indianapolis, Fishers, and Fort Wayne hold the most product development manager openings in Indiana. Indianapolis drives the largest volume through its concentration of life sciences, consumer goods, and corporate headquarters, while Fort Wayne and Kokomo reflect the region's strength in automotive components, defense electronics, and industrial manufacturing, where large anchor employers generate steady product development demand.
Are there remote product development manager jobs in Indiana?
Yes, but they are less common than in purely analytical roles because much of the work involves coordinating with manufacturing floors, labs, and supply chain partners on-site. About 30% of product development manager openings tied to Indiana are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those positions tend to concentrate in the strategy, requirements, and documentation phases of product development rather than hands-on prototype or validation work.
How can I get hired as a product development manager in Indiana with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a product engineer, project coordinator, or R&D associate role at one of Indiana's large manufacturers or life sciences companies, which routinely post associate-level openings that lead into product management tracks. Eli Lilly, Zimmer Biomet, and Cummins each run structured early-career and rotational programs that place recent graduates across product development functions. Earning a Project Management Professional credential or completing a product management certificate from Indiana University or Purdue strengthens an application considerably and signals readiness for the coordination responsibilities the role demands.
Where can I find and apply to product development manager jobs in Indiana?
You can find and apply to product development manager jobs in Indiana on Migrate Mate, which lists current Indiana openings. Search the listings, identify the roles that match your background and target industry, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 29 Product Development Manager Jobs in Indiana
Find roles in Indiana that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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