Must Haves: Plastics Industry and Stage/Phase Gate Process Exp.
Summary: As a Project Engineer, you will be pivotal in coordinating and aligning a cross-functional team that includes engineers, sales, marketing, and operations personnel, among other departments within the organization. Your primary focus will be on defining project scope and leading teams through the StageGate process, from initial product design to the final production launch.
Key Responsibilities:
- Project Planning and Oversight: Manage and execute multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they remain within defined scope, timeframes, budgets, and quality standards.
- Comprehensive Project Scope: Oversee projects involving injection molds, assembly equipment, packaging equipment, and more, to successfully launch new or improved products.
- Leadership and Coordination: Lead cross-functional teams, managing risks, costs, and resources while ensuring timely and effective communication with stakeholders.
- Strategic Alignment: Implement the strategic vision, goals, and objectives of the engineering solutions team in line with the overall company strategy.
- Financial Management: Meet financial goals by accurately forecasting needs, managing budgets, scheduling expenses, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective measures as needed.
- Achievement of Project Goals: Clearly define project requirements, contribute to strategic plans, develop and complete action plans, analyze data to resolve issues, identify system improvements, and implement changes as necessary, all while adhering to the Stage Gate process and regularly updating the leadership team.
Required Skills/Qualifications:
- Experience: At least 5 years in Program/Project Management, preferably within the Plastic Manufacturing Industry.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field is preferred.
- Project Management Expertise: Minimum of 5 years in project management, particularly in new product development and innovation, with a focus on injection molding.
- Self-Motivation and Leadership: Must be self-driven, capable of working with minimal supervision, and skilled in leading cross-functional teams with a hands-on, action-oriented approach.
- MS Project Expertise: Advanced user proficiency with MS Project.
- Cost Quoting Experience: Strong background in product and project quoting, including cost estimation for products, equipment, and resources.
- Stage/Phase Gate Process Knowledge: Familiarity with Stage/Phase Gate processes or ISO standards is REQUIRED.
- Presentation and Communication Skills: Comfortable with public speaking and presenting to various audiences, including customers, peers, and management.
- Innovation and Problem Solving: Forward-thinking with experience in designing and advancing innovative technologies, and ideally trained in Six Sigma.
- Collaboration and Communication: Excellent at collaborating with internal and external resources and customers at all levels, with strong listening, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Technical Proficiency: High level of expertise in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Professionalism: Ability to represent the company effectively, both internally and externally.
- Travel Requirements: Travel is required on an as-needed basis, with potential peaks of 10-20%.