Project Leadership Office Program Manager

Whirlpool • Saint Joseph, MI

15h • Onsite

About The Position

Whirlpool Corporation is seeking a Project or Program Leader for its Project Leadership Office (PLO), based at the St Joseph Tech Center in Michigan. The role leads multiple new product development projects and derivative models approved during platform planning, working with global, cross-functional teams to deliver projects from concept through implementation and release.

The manager oversees project scope, schedule, cost, quality, and other project-management knowledge areas across the full lifecycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The role applies the Whirlpool Product Development (WPD) system and methodology, recommends gate approvals, tracks project KPIs, and embeds project-management and WPD tools and practices across the PLO community and project teams. It also coordinates requirements and trade-offs with stakeholders, facilitates project meetings and communications, manages risks, issues, and changes, and oversees project expenses and capital planning. Travel to North American manufacturing sites, especially during launches, averages 3–5 days per month.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 3 years of experience in project or program management, including leading cross-functional teams or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Ability to manage project delivery across scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, stakeholders, and other project-management areas.
• Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams and navigate complex or changing situations.
• Willingness to travel to key North American manufacturing sites, averaging 3–5 days per month.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Administration.
• Master’s degree.
• Multilingual ability; the role works with regions including Mexico, India, Brazil, China, and Italy.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and/or Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
• 1–5 years of experience in product development in the consumer or durable goods sector.
• Experience in the home appliance industry, particularly cooking or dishwashing.
• Experience in financial planning, analysis, and capital investment management.

Responsibilities

• Deliver new product development projects approved during platform planning and report project KPIs monthly.
• Lead project teams through initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
• Use the Whirlpool Product Development (WPD) system and methodology for Production Development Projects (PDP).
• Recommend project gate approvals and collect stakeholder requirements, managing trade-offs to meet project goals.
• Serve as the central project contact; conduct project meetings, integration events, status reporting, and gate approval processes across organizational levels.
• Embed project-management and WPD tools, techniques, and practices in the PLO community and project teams.
• Manage project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management.
• Lead global cross-functional teams to take projects from concept through implementation and release, using team meetings, individual interactions, and other communication forums.
• Motivate cross-functional teams to collaborate on platform goals.
• Manage risks and develop plans to avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept, or explore them; drive issue resolution.
• Manage changes by guiding requests, impact and probability analysis, and go/no-go decisions.
• Maintain project data in multiple systems, report KPIs monthly, track component-part status, and connect communications among core team members.
• Plan and execute capital calendars and project expenses, overseeing spending and monthly outlook status.
• Travel to key North American manufacturing sites, particularly during project launches, averaging 3–5 days per month.
• Identify opportunities to maximize business benefits, navigate uncertainty and complexity, and help teams develop systemic solutions.
• Adapt approach to changing environments and situations; apply organizational perspective and business judgment to support strategy and product leadership.
• Generate ideas, alternatives, and possibilities.

Benefits

• Generous benefits package.
• Whirlpool employee discount.
• Fitness and educational reimbursement programs.
• Kitchenettes and other workplace amenities.
• Flexible autonomy to manage personal, family, and outside-of-work commitments.
• Two weeks of work-from-anywhere time per year, taken in minimum one-week increments.
• Four weeks of paid sabbatical after every five years of service.
• At Saint Joseph/Benton Harbor locations: recently renovated office space, free coffee, biking and walking trails, and access to The Eddy Early Childhood Center, subject to availability and additional costs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level