Product Lifecycle & Change Management Project Lead

Kalsec•Kalamazoo, MI

13d

About The Position

The Product Lifecycle & Change Management Project Lead leads cross-functional product change initiatives and drives continuous improvement of Kalsec's Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) processes and systems. The role ensures product changes are planned, communicated, documented, and implemented across the organization while minimizing operational disruption, maintaining compliance, and supporting business objectives. It partners with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Procurement, Marketing, Finance, and Information Systems to execute projects, improve processes, and support PLM and ERP enhancements. For product-related changes, the role leads projects from kickoff through implementation in line with change management governance; coordinates cross-functional teams; develops detailed project plans; facilitates meetings; tracks deliverables, risks, and progress; maintains accurate project documentation in PLM and ERP; and reports status to stakeholders and leadership. Issues may be escalated to the Product Lifecycle/Change Management Department Head. For software-related changes, the role assesses business and user needs, supports feature and requirements prioritization for PLM/ERP upgrades, coordinates stakeholders and user acceptance testing, communicates feedback, analyzes data to support product goals, and monitors progress toward timely delivery. The position works in an office environment using standard office equipment and the Microsoft Office Suite. It involves prolonged sitting and computer use, the ability to lift up to 15 pounds, and less than 10% travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Information Systems, another allied science, or a related field that uses the scientific method, with 4–7 years of related experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience is accepted.
Experience in project management, product lifecycle management, product commercialization, supply chain, operations, office management, or related functions.
Experience coordinating and leading cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders.
Understanding of food industry processes, including ingredient sourcing, formulation, manufacturing, quality systems, and regulatory requirements.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Nice To Haves

PMP or similar certification.
Experience with Product Lifecycle Management systems or other enterprise business systems.
Experience with Optiva PLM and food manufacturing ERP systems.
Experience supporting business process improvement initiatives.
Experience with stage-gate product development or commercialization processes.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end execution of product change projects, from kickoff through implementation, in alignment with established change management governance.
Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure project requirements are met.
Translate product changes into project plans with timelines, milestones, and resource requirements.
Facilitate project meetings and drive accountability for deliverables.
Track project progress and identify risks, delays, or gaps; escalate issues to the Product Lifecycle/Change Management Department Head as needed.
Manage project documentation and records, maintaining accuracy and compliance in PLM and ERP systems.
Monitor project performance and provide regular status updates to stakeholders and leadership.
Assess business and user needs for software-related changes.
Support the definition and prioritization of product features and requirements, including PLM/ERP upgrades.
Coordinate users, Information Systems, and other stakeholders to keep testing on track and communicate feedback.
Coordinate user acceptance testing for PLM/ERP enhancements.
Analyze data to support product goals and adjust tactics as needed.
Monitor project progress to ensure timely feature delivery.