Project Manager – New Product Launch

Pridgeon & Clay Inc•Grand Rapids, MI

About The Position

The Project Manager manages successful new-product launches in accordance with company policies and customer requirements. The position coordinates launch activities across finance, quality, production, shipping, customer service, and internal teams, ensuring budgets, project schedules, APQP tasks, gate milestones, action items, and customer deliverables are monitored and completed on time. The role also maintains launch documentation, organizes team and customer meetings, communicates project status and risks, and supports adherence to company policies, standards, and safety requirements.

Requirements

Associate degree; Business is preferred.
Experience in a project management environment.
Ability to coordinate multiple projects and drive programs to on-time completion with a high degree of detail.
High proficiency in MS Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
Self-motivation and ability to manage personal workload with minimal supervision.
Ability and willingness to work effectively in a team-based setting and build work relationships through collaboration.
Excellent written and verbal communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
Strong organizational and detail-oriented project-management skills.
Excellent problem-solving skills.
Dependability, confidentiality, and an excellent work record, including attendance.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree; Business is preferred.
Previous experience in the automotive industry.
Working knowledge of the Advanced Product Quality Process (APQP).
Experience with AIAG Core Tools: APQP, PPAP, FMEA, SPC, and MSA.
Strong technical skills.

Responsibilities

Initiate and track customer billing against project budgets; monitor tooling expenses, cost of goods sold, and launch-related capital expenditure projects.
Meet weekly with the Program Launch Business Manager and communicate changes to forecasted profit and loss on tooling projects.
Prepare budget overrun justifications and corrective actions with input from the launch team for management review and approval.
Support the Strategic Sourcing Specialist with supplier authorization-to-proceed letters, purchase orders, and progressive payments for tools and gauges.
Issue kickoff and engineering change notices for the Grand Rapids, Franklin, Mexico, and Hungary plants.
Initiate, monitor, and record supplier tooling runoff dates, home-line capability runoff dates, and PPAP submission dates.
Initiate and preload Flowing Form documentation; create, monitor, and drive APQP project tasks to completion on time.
Maintain and organize APQP documents within part folders.
Manage project timelines, escalate issues, and drive achievement of gate milestones and closure of project action items on time.
Maintain the daily-comment project file tracker so project progress is current and accurate.
Facilitate required team meetings and organize and track timely production and shipping of early parts, dies, gauges, and PPAP packages.
Submit requests for Launch/Production Planning Meeting agenda updates and Gate Review Meeting presentation requests.
Work with customers to define and document new-product launch goals and objectives.
Identify and communicate launch-plan risks to management and ensure APQP team members know due dates for critical-path items.
Organize and attend customer program meetings and conference calls as required.
Create and manage project timelines and provide customers with timing plans and project status updates as requested or required.
Inform Customer Service about orders to add or remove for early parts, cap runs, and prove-out runs.
Inform the Information Technology Department about routers and bills of materials and ensure the information is updated correctly.
Inform the team about, and ensure compliance with, customer-specific forms and practices, including feasibility forms, asset tags, die pictures, and die biographies.
Communicate effectively with co-workers and management, and provide pertinent information and feedback accurately and promptly.
Maintain appropriate attendance, organize the personal work area, and work the hours necessary to perform the job.
Follow and support company policies and procedures, including ISO, AIAG, IATF 16949, and safety regulations.
Accept instructions and duties positively, treat co-workers with dignity and respect, and model professionalism, integrity, and a positive attitude.
Support company values through daily actions.

Benefits

Competitive total compensation.
Comprehensive benefits plan, including medical and prescription coverage with employee coverage starting at $5.00 per week.
Dental coverage.
Vision coverage.
401(k) with company match.
Tuition reimbursement.
Safe, team-oriented work environment with a leadership team that values employee input.
Opportunity to participate in continuous improvement and problem-solving events.
Positive work/life balance.
Career growth opportunities; the posting states that over 70% of leaders have been promoted from within.