Project Manager

Position Description:

The Project Manager is responsible for leading strategic projects-including capital investments and new initiatives-and for developing, implementing, and continuously improving the company's standard approach to project management. This role works cross-functionally to ensure projects are delivered efficiently, consistently, and in alignment with business objectives. The Project Manager also champions Lean principles and supports education and training efforts to build a culture of continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Project Leadership

• Manage the full lifecycle of strategic projects from initial planning of budgets, timelines, and schedules through execution, completion, and sustainment.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and external partners to achieve project goals.
• Guide, mentor, and provide tools to team members that enables them to perform at their best.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, and status reports.
• Ensure all projects follow company standards, approval processes, and meet requirements and expectations.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and timelines. Communicate progress, wins, and lessons learned to stakeholders.

Project Management Standards

• Lead the creation, implementation, and ongoing improvement of project management tools, templates, and processes.
• Facilitate regular project reviews and portfolio updates to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Provide governance for all projects with respect to templates, standards, communication, and processes.
• Deliver training and coaching on project management best practices to project sponsors, team members, and leaders.
• Support the integration of project management principles into major business processes and systems.

Lean Initiatives & Continuous Improvement

• Champion Lean principles and practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and waste elimination.
• Support company-wide Lean initiatives and facilitate improvement projects tailored to local needs.
• Share best practices and learnings across the organization.
• Performs other functions as assigned.

Supervisory/Management Responsibilities:

None

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in business, operations, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in high-level project management (manufacturing or food industry experience is a plus).
• Experience as a PMP managing a portfolio of projects and implementing project management standards.
• Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work with diverse teams and influence without direct authority.
• Experience with Lean/Six Sigma/continuous improvement is a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Able to withstand extreme temperatures.

Competencies:

• Business Acumen: Understands business implications of decisions, conducts cost-benefit analyses, displays orientation to profitability, and aligns work with strategic goals.
• Problem Solving: Ability to facilitate discussion, can differentiate between common cause and special cause, identifies problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully, understands cause versus effect, develops alternative solutions, resolves problems in early stages, and works well in group problem solving situations.
• Conflict Resolution: Able to encourage open communications, confront difficult situations, maintain objectivity, keep emotions under control, and use negotiation skills to resolve conflicts.
• Leadership: Exhibits ethical and moral behavior in everyday business conduct, earns trust of others by disclosing information and admitting mistakes, recognizes and resolves ethical questions, ensure organizational ethics are widely understood and encourages open discussion of ethical issues.
• Conflict Resolution: Able to encourage open communications, confront difficult situations, maintain objectivity, keep emotions under control, and use negotiation skills to resolve conflicts.

Core Values:

Exhibits the following company core values and regularly influences them to others

• We embrace our legacy and build for the future
• We take pride in all we do
• We make decisions and commit
• It's a privilege to serve each other, our customers, and the community
• We are a team that plays to win

Benefits for this role include: Medical, vision, dental, discretionary bonus up to 12% (50% personal performance based & 50% company performance), 401(k) with matching up to a max of 4% and 120 hours PTO in the 1st 12 months.