R&D Program Coordinator

Position Overview:

The R&D Project Manager plays a crucial role in overseeing daily operations, specifically managing projects through the New Product Development (NPD) Stage Gate process, which includes Initiation, Planning, Execution, and Closure.

Key Responsibilities:

• Direct new product development initiatives utilizing the Stage Gate methodology from initial concept through to post-launch evaluation.
• Ensure that all key stakeholders and team members adhere to a structured and repeatable process from ideation through to market launch and subsequent project closure.
• Facilitate the development of comprehensive project plans that encompass budget, resource allocation, detailed scheduling, and critical milestone identification, all aligned with Stage Gate deliverables.
• Clearly define and align project scope, timelines, and necessary resources across all involved parties.
• Create a resource management plan to meet project deadlines, collaborating closely with functional managers to allocate the required resources effectively.
• Exhibit strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet deadlines while maintaining budgetary constraints.
• Identify potential project risks and issues, developing contingency plans to mitigate their impact on the project schedule or scope throughout the lifecycle.
• Schedule and lead all necessary project gate review meetings with designated gatekeepers.
• Share insights and lessons learned to promote knowledge sharing and the implementation of best practices across the organization.
• Perform additional duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.
• Establish and maintain project Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to schedules, budgets, and resource allocation, providing regular updates to enhance understanding of project status and identify areas for improvement.
• Support the Marketing, Engineering, and Operations teams in balancing project priorities and workload constraints through effective resource management.
• Contribute to enhancing the organization's capability to manage multiple projects within schedule and budget constraints.
• Facilitate periodic reviews of NPD/VAVE projects and gate assessments.
• Assist in the Idea Generation process, including leading periodic core team reviews.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or needed.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience, including at least 2 years in progressive Program/Project Management roles or a comparable combination of education and experience, preferably in Mechanical, Energetic, or Electrical engineering.
• Demonstrated success in managing new product development, product introduction, and lifecycle management.
• Proficient in Project Management Office tools, including Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Logic Network, Gantt Charts, and Agile methodologies.
• Intermediate proficiency in MS Office Suite, Project, Visio, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is advantageous.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey both commercial and technical project aspects to all stakeholders, including executive-level communication.
• Strong facilitation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent planning, organizational, time management, and structured thinking abilities.
• Capability to operate on both strategic and tactical levels.
• Comprehensive knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of product development and project management, with the ability to lead teams in executing these methodologies.
• Broad professional experience across product development, operations, sales, engineering, and marketing is a plus.
• Able to inspire, mentor, and coach high-performance cross-functional teams within a matrix organization.
• Experience with portfolio, schedule, and resource management tools.