---
title: 'Hardware NPI Program Manager at Chefman'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-npi-program-manager-chefman-mahwah-38h6af3y9jzx'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Hardware NPI Program Manager at Chefman

- **Company:** Chefman
- **Location:** Mahwah, NJ
- **Compensation:** $130k–$135k
- **Posted:** 2026-01-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chefman/jobs/4092375009

## Job description

Chefman & CHEF iQ is looking for a Hardware NPI Project Manager to own our products from first sketch to store shelf. You'll be the person who keeps engineering, design, and business all pointed in the same direction — the one who can walk into an engineering review and ask the right technical question, then walk into an executive update ten minutes later and explain exactly what it means for the launch date.

This isn't a role where you sit above the work. You're in it — reviewing drawings, understanding design constraints, catching the problem before it becomes a delay, and pushing a project from a rough concept all the way through production and onto a retailer's shelf.

What you'll actually be doing:

- Own the schedule. Not just track it — build it, defend it, and know exactly where the risk is before anyone else does.
- Be the translator. Take a complex engineering tradeoff and explain it clearly to people who don't live in CAD software, and vice versa.
- Get hands-on when it matters. Review drawings, understand specs, and speak the language of the engineers you're working with.
- Run point with our overseas manufacturing partners, keeping quality, timing, and cost aligned.
- Brief senior leadership with real recommendations, not just status updates — including the trade-offs and risks they need to know about.
- Move fast. This is a growing team building genuinely new products, not maintaining a mature roadmap.

What you bring:

- 3+ years in project management or engineering, ideally in consumer products, plastics, or hardware
- A track record of taking a product from concept through launch, not just one slice of the process
- Real technical grounding — mechanical or electrical design experience, comfort reading and modifying drawings
- Bonus points for SolidWorks or CREO familiarity, and experience working with overseas manufacturing partners
- The ability to present to senior leadership with confidence and clarity
- A hands-on, adaptable mindset — you'd rather solve the problem than just report it

A note on visa sponsorship: Chefman is unable to sponsor visas for this role, now or in the future, including H-1B, OPT, or STEM OPT. Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis.

Salary Range (commensurate with experience) $130,000—$135,000 USD

## About Chefman

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Chefman is a leading North American brand of small kitchen appliances, designing and distributing products like air fryers, toaster ovens, and electric kettles, alongside its digitally connected smart appliance brand, CHEF iQ.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held)
- **Headquarters**: Mahwah, New Jersey, United States
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Not publicly available (entity is RJ Brands, LLC)

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Manufacturing, Consumer Electronics, Smart Home Appliances
- Target customers: B2C (home cooks and families), B2B (retailers and distributors)
- Mission or purpose statement: "To provide the world with innovative products that make everyday cooking a better experience." Vision: "To have every kitchen cooking with Chefman products."

## Products & Services
- **[Chefman Core Line]**: A full range of premium small kitchen appliances including electric kettles, air fryers, toaster ovens, cookware, and food processors. The company claims to be "America’s #1 brand of electric kettles."
- **[CHEF iQ Brand]**: Launched in 2020, an ecosystem of digitally connected kitchen appliances (smart cookers, probes) that use guided cooking experiences and an app to streamline food preparation. This represents a pivot toward IoT and smart home technology.
- **[Product Development Services]**: The company has an in-house engineering and design team that handles everything from firmware (Embedded Linux, BSP) to industrial design (SolidWorks, PTC Creo).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (Privately Held)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of **$59.1 million** (as of 2026)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: No public funding rounds reported (likely bootstrapped or funded via private debt/equity).
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 110 employees, up **12.5% year-over-year** (+18 people). Operating in 6 countries (US, Mexico, UK, China, Brazil, Finland). Recent opening of a manufacturing facility in Hangzhou, China. Strong online presence with 6,735 LinkedIn followers (+10.3% yearly growth).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Brand Dominance in a Niche**: Clear market leadership in electric kettles, providing a strong baseline for cross-selling other appliances.
- **In-House Technical Depth**: Unlike many consumer appliance brands that outsource everything, Chefman maintains a significant in-house engineering team (firmware, software, IoT) and a design department, allowing for rapid product iteration and smart product integration.
- **Dual-Brand Strategy**: The established "Chefman" brand for traditional appliances and the "CHEF iQ" brand for premium, connected smart appliances allow the company to target both value-conscious and tech-forward segments without diluting the core brand.

## Strategic Focus
- **Smart Appliance Ecosystem**: Heavy investment in the CHEF iQ brand and its connected cooking experience (app, guided recipes, IoT hardware).
- **Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Growth**: Active management of its website (Shopify) and digital marketing (TikTok, influencer/affiliate programs) suggests a push to reduce reliance on third-party retailers.
- **Global Manufacturing & Supply Chain**: The new factory in China indicates a focus on vertical integration and controlling the supply chain for cost and quality.
- **Engineering-Driven Innovation**: Hiring for roles like Senior Embedded Linux/BSP Engineer and Senior Firmware Engineer signals a commitment to building complex software-defined hardware.

## Why Work Here
- **Hands-On Engineering Culture**: For engineers, the role involves deep work on embedded systems, IoT, and firmware for physical products—offering a tangible sense of creation (e.g., testing a "Volcano Waffle Maker").
- **Rapid Innovation Cycle**: The company moves at the pace of a startup (small teams, 110 employees) but operates in the high-volume manufacturing world.
- **Hybrid/In-Office Policy**: Roles are explicitly "In-Office" in Mahwah, NJ, with "Typical time on-site: None" listed for some roles on Built In, indicating flexibility but a preference for in-person collaboration.
- **Perks & Benefits**: Offers healthcare (dental, vision, life insurance), 401(K), generous PTO, employee discounts on products, free snacks, and "customized development tracks" for promotion.
- **Employee Rating Caveat**: The company has a low employer rating (2.7/5.0 on LinkedIn from 82 reviews), with specific weaknesses noted in Compensation (2.6) and Culture (2.7). This is a significant caveat for prospective employees.

## Sources
1. [LinkedIn - Chefman & CHEF iQ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/chefman)
2. [Chefman Official Website - About Us](https://chefman.com/pages/about-us)
3. [Built In - Chefman Careers](https://builtin.com/company/chefman)
4. [Greenhouse - Jobs at Chefman](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/chefman)

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- [Food Safety and Thermal Processing Consultant](https://feeny.ai/job/food-safety-and-thermal-processing-consultant-chefman-remote-9xv4s3pbqgzm)
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