Mission Critical Project Manager

Cst Industries, Inc.; DeKalb (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CST Industries, Inc. in Illinois is seeking a Mission Critical Project Manager to lead technically complex customer projects from order acceptance through engineering, manufacturing, shipment, and closeout.

You will interpret engineering drawings, identify risks, and drive resolution with cross-functional teams. The role requires strong technical aptitude, meticulous attention to detail, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related discipline required.
• 3+ years of project management in industrial manufacturing or similar.
• Strong ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and attention to detail.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple projects.
• Willingness to travel up to 10%.

Responsibilities

• Own the customer relationship and execute projects from sales handoff to closeout.
• Develop and manage detailed project schedules and milestones.
• Review specs, drawings, and submittals to identify scope gaps and risks.
• Coordinate with Engineering and customers to resolve technical issues.
• Lead cross-functional coordination with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Shipping, and Construction.
• Communicate project status, risks, decisions, and recovery plans to stakeholders.
• Manage changes, documentation, and project systems.
• Travel approximately 10% of the time.

Skills

Project management

Technical aptitude

Reading drawings

Communication skills

Detail-oriented

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

MS Office

AutoCAD

ERP/CRM scheduling systems

Job description

Position Summary

The Mission Critical Project Manager serves as the primary point of contact for the successful execution of technical, schedule-driven customer projects from order acceptance through engineering, manufacturing, shipment, installation support and project closeout.

This role requires strong technical aptitude, exceptional attention to detail, and excellent communication skills. The Project Manager must be able to interpret engineering drawings and specifications, identify discrepancies and project risks, ask effective technical questions, and drive issues to resolution across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Shipping, Construction and the customer.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own the customer relationship and project execution from Sales handoff through project closeout.
• Develop and actively manage project schedules, milestones, critical-path activities and customer delivery dates.
• Review customer specifications, quotations, purchase orders, engineering drawings, submittals and change documentation to identify scope gaps, discrepancies and risks.
• Interpret technical information, recognize potential issues, ask appropriate technical questions and coordinate resolution with Engineering and the customer.
• Manage engineering submittals, RFIs, customer comments, approvals and technical decisions through closure.
• Proactively identify schedule, technical, commercial and manufacturing risks and drive mitigation or escalation before milestones are impacted.
• Lead cross-functional coordination with Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Shipping, Finance and Construction.
• Manage project changes and ensure requirements, commitments and decisions are accurately reflected in project systems and documentation.
• Communicate clear project status, risks, decisions, action items and recovery plans to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Manage manufacturing, quality, shortage, shipment and field-related issues through resolution.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness and follow-through.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or another technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 3+ years of project management, project engineering or technical project execution experience in an industrial, manufacturing, construction or similar technical environment.
• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to read, interpret and review engineering drawings, specifications and technical documentation.
• Exceptional attention to detail with demonstrated ability to identify discrepancies, missing information, scope conflicts and project risks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly communicate technical and project information to customers.
• Strong project planning, scheduling, prioritization, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive actions to completion without direct authority.
• High level of ownership, initiative, urgency and follow-through.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to travel approximately 10%.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with Mission Critical, data centers, engineered-to-order manufacturing or other complex technical projects.
• Experience coordinating engineering submittals, RFIs, change orders, manufacturing, installation and project closeout.
• Experience working with general contractors, engineering firms, owners or large commercial customers.
• PMP or equivalent project-management training.
• Experience with ERP, CRM, project scheduling/document-management systems and AutoCAD.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read, write and speak in English.

REASONING ABILITY

• Ability to interpret specifications, contracts and project terms and conditions.
• Ability to analyze complex problems, identify root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Sound judgment and decision-making in a fast-paced project environment.

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Proficiency with MS Office.
• Proficiency in project management software and scheduling tools.
• Working familiarity with AutoCAD or similar drawing-review software.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The employee works in the office of a manufacturing plant environment with normal exposure to noise, dust, and hazards associated with working in a high traffic, heavy machinery, manufacturing plant. Typical work hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM – 5 PM (may vary by area in department). Job requires overtime. Work hours may change at Management's discretion with prior notice.