Associate Project Manager, NPI

Associate Project Manager, NPI

Position Summary:

We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive, and motivated individual to join our fast-paced, high-visibility Program Management team. As an Associate Project Manager, you will be actively involved in the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, working closely with our production teams on the shop floor. This role requires you to be directly engaged in the manufacturing process as new products are introduced to the production line. Your ability to support project teams and program managers, track progress, and provide solutions will be highly valued.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below represent the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Program Coordination: Support day-to-day project operations and provide assistance to project teams and program managers in the execution of multiple programs simultaneously.
• Manufacturing Support: Work directly on the factory floor, collaborating with NPI and production teams to ensure the smooth introduction and manufacturing of new products.
• Tracking and Reporting: Track program progress against goals, create dashboards, and perform root cause analysis to address any missed targets or delays.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with program managers across multiple geographies to ensure customer satisfaction and meet internal project deliverables.
• Customer-Focused: Anticipate and address customer needs proactively, applying innovative thinking and working collaboratively with internal technical, production, scheduling, and management teams to resolve challenges.
• Multi-Project Management: Effectively manage and support multiple projects concurrently, prioritizing tasks and deadlines while ensuring that program milestones are achieved.
• Process Improvement: Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying inefficiencies and recommending solutions to enhance project execution.

Minimum Qualifications:

Experience/Education:

• BS/MS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or a related field. New grads welcome to apply
• Strong experience in CAD software, particularly SolidWorks
• Previous exposure to Project/Program Management duties, especially in NPI functions in a manufacturing environment, while not necessary, is preferred

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Strong organizational, multitasking, and time management abilities.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with diverse cross-functional teams with eventual customer-facing responsibilities.
• Problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to apply innovative thinking to address challenges.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage competing priorities.
• Proficiency in project management software (e.g., Microsoft Project, Asana, etc.) and MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) is nice to have but not required.
• Experience coding in R or Python will be helpful but not necessary
• Willingness and ability to travel locally, nationally, and/or globally up to 20%

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

Working Conditions/Hours: 

Salaried Exempt

Physical Demands – Office and Manufacturing Environment

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms and pull/push; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must lift and/or move up to 50 pounds without assistance. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment – 

Includes both a typical office environment, with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues, and a shop environment, with exposure to high noise levels from operating machines, physical hazards from moving equipment and machine parts, nuisance dust, and skin exposure to chemicals used to run/maintain machines

PPE-

May be required to wear Personal Protective Equipment, including but not limited to safety glasses, safety shoes, bump-caps, gloves, hair nets, masks, & clean-room frocks while adhering to the prescribed safety procedures