Project Manager

Cognex Corporation; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 74,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognex Corporation is seeking a Project Manager with external customer-facing experience to thrive in a fast-paced, results-driven culture. You will lead projects involving Cognex solutions, manage scope, risks, and communications, and partner with customers to ensure quality, delivery, and profitability.

The role requires travel and strong PMI-based practices. Responsibilities include planning resources, maintaining customer relationships, and delivering on time with transparent updates to

Qualifications

• BA degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience.
• Typically 3+ years as a project manager in high-tech/service industries.
• Willingness to travel 20–50% as needed.
• English language proficiency required; PMP/CSCP preferred.

Responsibilities

• Actively plan and align internal and external resources to meet project schedules and budgets.
• Maintain strong relationships with customers before and after sale.
• Develop detailed project schedules and track progress toward milestones with clear stakeholder communications.
• Document scope, changes, and project details; coordinate with service teams or customers for a successful handoff.
• Apply project-management processes and PMI standards to ensure quality, delivery, and profitability.

Skills

PMI standards

Communication

Stakeholder management

Time management

Budgeting & cost estimation

Risk management

Vendor coordination

Education

BA in technical discipline

Tools

Microsoft Projects

Job description

Job Description

Cognex is searching for a Project Manager with external customer facing experience who will flourish in our "Work Hard, Play Hard, Move Fast" culture. The Project Manager will be interacting and directing resources on projects involving the integration of Cognex designed solutions. Engaging within the pre-sales phase of potential project lifecycle's, you'll be responsible to prepare accurately, assess risks, and subsequently deliver the hottest technology in this market, ensuring we meet customer expectations for quality, delivery, and service, while delivering Cognex high standards for growth and profitability.

Essential Functions

• Actively plan, organize, and align resources, both internal and external, in a cost-effective manner to win and execute against the project schedule.
• Maintain and develop effective relationship with customers both pre- and post-sale.
• Develop project schedules and track project progress against milestones while ensuring timely communications to internal and external stakeholders on project status.
• Identify, create simple, and track complex documented scope. Communicate scope changes to all key stakeholders, ensuring that project completion and customer acceptance is achieved, via all providers to the project
• Manage all project documentation through the lifecycle including providing all details on documentation to either the service team or customer to set them up for success.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Solid experience or familiarity with Project management processes and PMI standards
• Possesses strong written and verbal communication skills and someone who exhibits solid customer relationship maintenance skills with the ability to influence, through facts and fast action.
• Solid knowledge and understanding of appropriate industry segment and automation technology including the knowledge of design for the manufacturability, assembly, test and manufacturing test development on industrial, electro-mechanical products.
• Solid interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate, collaborate, and influence both internal and external stakeholders to achieve project objectives.
• Possesses strong time management and organizational skills to manage multiple projects with quality and efficiently in a dynamic, fact-based fast paced environment
• Solid understanding of complicated data analysis theory, project cost estimation, and profitability analysis.
• Capable of planning difficult schedules by breaking down tasks in efforts to avoid scope creep
• Solid decision making and problem-solving skills with the ability to sort through competing priorities, anticipate and manage risks, an develop effective mitigation plans to produce effective solutions in unexpected situations.
• Solid understanding of business process, order proceeding and basic project-finance knowledge.
• Ability to handle routine customer situations and has the proper discernment to escape when necessary.
• Experienced using Project Management tools such as Microsoft Projects
• Ability to rapidly learn new technology and understand new markets

Minimum Education and Work Experience Required

• BA degree in a technical discipline(preferred) or relevant equivalent professional experience
• Typically requires a minimum of3+years' experience as a project manager within the service high-tech industry or for projects in a related field
• Ability to be on-call and respond to customer emergencies. Availability to work evening and weekend hours or varying work patterns depending on project needs.
• Ability to travel between 20-50% of the time. Travel will vary depending on region, time of year, and customer needs.
• Must possess English language proficiency as a minimum for the role.
• Certifications related to Project Management are preferred (PMP, CSCP, etc.)

Salary Range

$74,000 - $93,000. Actual compensation will be based on experience, skills, and qualifications. Exceptional candidates may be considered above the posted range..

Additional Job Description

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cognex is an equal opportunity employer. Cognex evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.