Project Leader

About the role

As an Operations Project Leader within the Strategic Operations team, you will support Milwaukee's Hand Tools Storage, PPE, Core, and Layout products. Your focus will be on new product development (NPD) launches, manufacturing support initiatives, risk mitigation efforts, and strategic transfer execution. Project types include operations milestones, in-house product releases, capacity, and process improvement projects. You will also work directly with manufacturing cells to improve processes and reduce costs through machine improvements, capacity projects, and design changes.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple moderate to highly complex operations projects for NPD, process improvement, and manufacturing support with minimal direction.
• Provide project management and technical problem-solving support on high-complexity projects.
• Visualize the entire scope of a project with minimal guidance, create project schedules, resource plans (RASICs), and facilitate and document project meetings.
• Track project schedules to ensure adherence to timelines; keep team and management informed of project issues.
• Identify and mitigate project risks and implement risk reduction plans; escalate as appropriate.
• Work cross-functionally and globally with Quality & Reliability, Engineering, Sourcing, Finance, Supply and Demand, Marketing, and other departments.
• Communicate technical details, ideas, and concepts to engineers and non-engineers in multiple locations both verbally and in writing.
• Lead formal project technical reviews and participate in management reviews for assigned projects; regularly present project status.
• Evaluate product design relative to material selection, cost, reliability, and manufacturability; offer improvement ideas and make component, material, or process recommendations.
• Lead manufacturing process-related feasibility studies; analyze, evaluate, and select from manufacturing alternatives to best meet objectives for capital, cost, capacity, and timing.
• Lead operational readiness and implementation; accountable for technical elements of project execution, including integration of equipment, tooling, capability reviews, manufacturing process and safety, regulatory, and standards compliance.
• Interact with operations, quality, and suppliers to develop processes capable of meeting part/product specifications that meet performance requirements.
• Serve as a technical resource to troubleshoot problems with manufacturing teams and suppliers.
• Create manufacturing cost models for new projects to analyze the best approach for operations business planning.
• Interpret data and make recommendations, including but not limited to:
  • Impact to financials (GM and EBIT, total CapEx)
  • Intermediate supply chain design analysis
  • End-to-end logistics modeling
  • Risk trade-offs for short- and long-term strategy
  • Line layout considerations for NPD if in-house
• Provide input for performance appraisals for cross-functional project team members; oversee day-to-day activities of project team members.
• Regularly visit production sites and suppliers to maintain open lines of communication and provide opportunity/troubleshooting analysis. Sites include downtown Milwaukee, West Bend WI, Mukwonago WI, Cookeville TN, Vietnam, and China.

Requirements

• Relevant degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, supply chain, or operations; graduate studies preferred in business areas such as Project Management, Finance, Marketing, or Organizational studies.
• Formal project management training preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of engineering experience in a related field.
• Experience successfully managing moderate-complexity projects and/or subsystems of larger projects.
• High level of Manufacturing/Industrial engineering aptitude, including broad knowledge of manufacturing processes and experience implementing equipment.
• Proficient understanding of cost drivers associated with materials, labor, and overhead.
• Working design knowledge of a wide variety of technologies associated with Milwaukee products.
• Ability to conduct detailed analyses or recognize the need to seek appropriate expertise.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software, including Microsoft Project.
• Ability to travel to China and domestically several times a year (15% travel).
• Computer-aided design skills are a significant advantage but not required, including Unigraphics (NX8.5) or similar 3D CAD package; experience with Teamcenter a plus.
• Experience with ERP systems and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) desired—Oracle Cloud and High Jump a plus.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance starting on your first day of work.
• 401k retirement plan.
• On-site cafeteria and state-of-the-art fitness facility.

Schedule

Primary location will be West Bend, WI. Expect to travel across WI sites weekly, domestic sites monthly, and international sites 1-2 times per year.