Project Manager

Job Summary

The Project Manager manages key customer projects in a manufacturing environment, from order release through shipment, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget and within scope. The Project Manager oversees all aspects of each project, including material availability, production scheduling, capacity and delivery, while setting deadlines, assigning responsibilities and reporting progress, milestones and risks to upper management. The Project Manager works directly with customers to ensure deliverables meet the applicable scope, specifications and budget. They also coordinate with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Production, Quality and Logistics to ensure all aspects of each project are compatible.

Job Duties & Responsibilities

• Coordinate internal resources (production, engineering, purchasing, quality, logistics) and third parties/vendors (suppliers, subcontractors, carriers) for the flawless execution of projects and establish and maintain strong vendor relationships.
• Ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope and within budget, including shipment by customer commit dates.
• Assist in the definition of project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical feasibility and manufacturability.
• Ensure resource availability and allocation, including materials, labor, equipment and production capacity.
• Develop a detailed project plan, including production schedule and key milestones, to monitor and track progress, and share it with customers and other staff members.
• Manage changes to the project scope, project schedule and project costs, including customer change requests and engineering changes, using appropriate verification techniques.
• Measure and track project performance using appropriate tools and techniques (e.g., on-time delivery, schedule adherence, cost variance and quality metrics) to analyze the successful completion of short and long-term goals.
• Report and escalate to management as needed, including material shortages, capacity constraints and quality issues.
• Manage the relationship with the customer and all stakeholders.
• Perform risk management to minimize project risks, including supply chain, lead-time, capacity and quality risks.
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including order records, specifications, drawings, certifications and customer-required quality documentation, and develop spreadsheets, diagrams and process maps to document needs.
• Meet with customers to take detailed ordering briefs and clarify specific requirements of each project, such as specifications, materials, tolerances, testing, certifications and delivery requirements.
• Monitor project costs, including materials, labor and margin, and adjust project constraints based on financial analysis to meet budgetary objectives.
• Use and continually develop leadership skills.
• Attend conferences and safety and quality training as required to maintain proficiency.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Skills

• Budget Development and Cost Tracking (materials, labor and margin)
• Project Management and Scheduling, including milestone tracking and change control
• Process Improvement (lean, continuous improvement and root cause analysis)
• Production and Capacity Planning
• Supplier and Vendor Management
• Risk Management and Problem Solving
• Leadership and cross-functional collaboration with production, engineering, quality and logistics teams
• Strong organizational skills, including attention to detail, multitasking and prioritization in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent customer-facing, internal, written and verbal communication skills

Education

• Required: Bachelors degree in project management, business, engineering, supply chain or related field.

Work Experience

• Required: 2 - 4 years of work experience in project management in a manufacturing or related field.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift, bend, stoop and climb, and to walk and stand for extended periods on the production floor.
• Capable of lifting up to 30 lb. on a regular basis.
• Visual acuity required while paying attention to details.