Project Manager

MKS Inc.; Crewe; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

MKS in Crewe, UK is seeking a Project Manager (hybrid) to drive NPI and sustaining projects from concept through production launch. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, maintain disciplined tracking, and communicate status clearly in a matrix environment.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of industrial project leadership, with experience across engineering, manufacturing and quality stakeholders and travel up to 15%. CAPM/PRINCE2 is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 5+ years of related industrial experience required.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects with engineering, manufacturing and quality stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of stage-gate or similar product development processes.
• Able to flex working hours to maintain overlap with US/UK time zones.
• Ability to travel up to 15%.

Responsibilities

• Manage execution of multiple projects across the product development lifecycle, including scope, schedule, budget, and risk management.
• Coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain and business teams to drive milestones and resolve blockers.
• Build and maintain project schedules with dependency tracking and risk visibility.
• Track project financials including budget consumption and variance reporting.
• Lead project status at gate reviews and program reviews with clear progress updates.
• Maintain documentation aligned with ISO quality system requirements.
• Identify resource conflicts and scope changes and escalate with recommended actions.
• Support project prioritization with accurate project data.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Engineering background

Stage-gate processes

Budgeting & forecasting

Scheduling & dependencies

Matrixed environment

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

We are looking for our next Project Manager (hybrid mode) to drive the execution of NPI and sustaining projects across our business unit, manage cross-functional development projects from concept through production launch, in our company MKS based in Crewe (UK).

Reporting to the Director of Project Management and working closely with engineering directors and functional leads, this role requires the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, maintain disciplined project tracking, and communicate status clearly and transparently. The right candidate is proactive, technically curious, and comfortable operating in a matrixed environment where building relationships is essential to getting things done .

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Manage execution of multiple projects across the product development lifecycle, including scope, schedule, budget, and risk management
• Coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and business teams to drive project milestones and resolve blockers
• Build and maintain project schedules, tracking task dependencies and surfacing risks and delays early enough to act on them
• Track project financials including budget consumption and variance reporting, escalating concerns before they become problems
• Prepare and lead project status at gate reviews and regular program reviews, with clear and accurate communication of progress, risks, and open issues
• Maintain project documentation consistent with ISO quality system requirements, ensuring deliverables and decisions are traceable and audit-ready
• Identify resource conflicts and scope changes early, working with functional managers to resolve them or framing escalations with recommended actions
• Support the division's project prioritization process by maintaining accurate and current project data

Skills You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
• 5+ years of related industrial experience required
• Experience managing cross-functional projects with engineering, manufacturing, and quality stakeholders
• Technical proficiency – comfortable in technical discussions, with background in engineering (e.g. electronics) and/or analytical product development preferred
• Working knowledge of stage-gate or similar product development processes
• Ability to build and maintain project schedules with clear dependency tracking
• Comfortable working in matrixed environments without direct authority over project team members
• Continuous improvement mindset – apply MKS Product Development Process to the project objectives and develop process and teamworking principles to continuously improve outcomes
• Able to flex working hours as needed to maintain regular overlap with colleagues and stakeholders across US and UK time zones
• Ability to travel up to 15%

Preferred Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or a related technical discipline strongly preferred
• Experience managing projects in a hardware development environment strongly preferred
• CAPM, PRINCE2 Foundation, or equivalent entry-level certification. Working toward PMP/APM PMQ a plus
• Experience in semiconductor equipment, industrial technology, or a related precision manufacturing industry
• Familiarity with ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems and audit processes
• Experience participating in or supporting customer-facing engineering discussions
• Experience with project budgeting and financial tracking