PMO Lead & Approvals Project Manager

Det-Tronics (Detector Electronics, LLC); Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO and holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Private equity backed growth

Job summary

Det-Tronics, a $200M global technology leader in life safety solutions, seeks a PMO Leader to align and deliver a robust portfolio of engineering projects and programs across new product development and sustaining efforts.

You will partner with Product Managers and Engineering leaders, manage budgets and forecasts, lead governance, and coach project managers to ensure timely delivery, risk control, and value realization in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or computer engineering or related field.
• 15+ years of project or program management in electromechanical manufacturing.
• Proven end-to-end product development leadership through stage-gate governance.
• Experience in regulated or life safety product environments.
• Ability to lead without authority and drive accountability.
• Strong problem-solving, conflict resolution and adaptability.

Responsibilities

• Manage portfolio of Engineering projects and programs including new product developments and sustaining efforts.
• Align portfolio with company strategy; staff projects with project managers and remove roadblocks.
• Coordinate budgeting, forecasting, and financial tracking across programs.
• Provide weekly executive reporting on financials, resources, and delivery.
• Drive governance forums, standards and policy implementation.
• Lead recertification projects and cross-functional collaboration.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Strategic prioritization

Financial planning

Stakeholder communication

Problem solving

Influence without authority

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field

Advanced degree (MS, MBA) preferred

Tools

Portfolio management tools

Project management software

Collaboration tools

Job description

Det-Tronics is a $200M global technology leader in industrial life safety solutions, specializing in high-end flame and gas detection and automation control systems. As part of Spectrum Safety Solutions with 1,700 employees across 20+ countries we serve mission-critical environments in oil & gas, clean energy, marine, and infrastructure. Backed by Sentinel Capital Partners, we’re driving innovation and growth across our portfolio.

The Opportunity

The PMO Leader enables the business to realize its growth driven product roadmaps by partnering with Product Managers and Engineering leaders to identify and deliver a robust portfolio of projects and programs aligned with the business strategy for new products, margin enhancement, cost reduction, and product life extension. The PMO Leader uses data and KPIs to analyze, report and manage priorities and sequencing of work to achieve the business outcomes while applying a pragmatic approach to getting things done.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Alignment and Prioritization

• Manage the portfolio of Engineering projects and programs including new product developments, sustaining efforts, value/cost savings efforts. Lead continuous prioritization, providing options and alternatives to enable the business to deliver against its strategy.
• Ensure project portfolio and prioritization is aligned with the company strategy.
• Ensure that individual projects and programs are created and staffed with a project manager; remove roadblocks where needed and protect resources attached to top/strategic projects.
• Identify project and portfolio interdependencies, uncover synergies, and serve as a central contact point to streamline stakeholder communication.
• Coach project managers.

Capacity, Resource, Cost and Risk Management

• Act as primary contact for resource planning and tracking, including allocations, extensions, ensuring alignment with delivery priorities.
• Provide visibility of resource utilization, capacity gaps, and optimization opportunities to support delivery and cost efficiency decisions.
• Coordinate end-to-end program financial management, including planning, forecasting, and tracking of budgets, actuals, and forecasts.
• Facilitate decision-making and support proactive risk management.
• Identify delivery bottlenecks, dependencies and risks, driving resolution and continuously improve PMO processes, standards and ways of working.
• Take a lead role in budgeting / annual planning processes.

Reporting and Performance Monitoring

• Own the portfolio of new development and sustaining projects end to end from initiation to closure & launch.
• Produce weekly executive reporting across financials, resources, delivery and performance, providing forward-looking insight and narrative to support decisionmaking.
• Understand the meaning and implications of key financial indicators. Use financial analysis to evaluate and act on strategic options and opportunities.
• Maintain the program roadmap and supervise overall delivery status.
• Establish and drive regular weekly and monthly cadence of reporting.
• Communicate and report on execution and risks to the portfolio.

Governance and Standards

• Ensure project and teams comply with quality system procedures including change and development management.
• Coordinate and facilitate program governance forums, including materials, decisions and follow-ups.
• Create and champion policies to promote growth of teams.
• Drive coordination among project teams to leverage standards and best practices.
• Ensure tracking and documentation of all projects, including any mandatory system and metric tracking.

Manage Recertifications

• Directly manage the company global recertification projects that span all products and product groups.
• Scope and submit work and resource needs for weekly, monthly and annual project planning.
• Plan internal and external resources and deliverables to complete work early enough to avoid any gaps in expirable certifications or standards updates.
• Hands on support engagement with internal cross functional teams, 3rd party agencies and external test houses in execution of deliverables.
• Complete and execute associated product changes including any documentation, literature and markings.
• Track project KPI’s and metrics providing project report‑outs as part of larger PMO project reporting and executive updates.

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field.
• 15+ years of project or program management experience delivering electromechanical products in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven success leading end to end product development through structured stage-gate governance.
• Experience operating in regulated and/or life safety product environments.
• Strong ability to lead without authority, influence cross‑functional teams, drive accountability.
• Proficient with problem‑solving and conflict resolution skills, with the resilience and adaptability to operate sophisticated, fast‑paced environments.
• Demonstrated strength in risk management, execution discipline, and stakeholder communication.
• Strong proficiency in standard project and collaboration tools and Portfolio management tools.
• Proven expertise in financial planning and forecasting, with a track record in analyzing sophisticated data sets and translating them into high‑quality management information and actionable insights.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS, MBA).
• PMP or formal project management certification.
• Experience with fire, gas detection, or industrial safety products.
• Strong executive‑level presentation and data‑synthesis skills.

Why Join Us?

• Work with a globally respected brand in life safety.
• Influence strategic decisions at the executive level.
• Drive innovation and transformation in a high‑growth environment.
• Enjoy development opportunities within a dynamic, private equity‑backed company.

Benefits

At Det-Tronics, we believe in taking care of our people. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with company contributions.
• Financial Security: 401(k) retirement plan with company match, life and disability insurance.
• Time Off: Generous paid time off (PTO), holidays, and flexible scheduling options.
• Professional Growth: Career development programs, training opportunities, and tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), wellness resources, and global mobility support.
• Ownership Culture: Participation in our Ownership Program, empowering employees to share in our success.

Ready to shape the future of industrial safety? Apply now and join us in making every life safe and sound.