Project Manager

Summit27 Solutions; Paola (KS); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A custom manufacturing firm in Kansas seeks a Project Manager to oversee project execution from order receipt to warranty completion. This role requires excellent planning and organization to ensure customer satisfaction and schedule compliance. The ideal candidate should possess a Bachelor's degree and extensive experience in production and project management. Key responsibilities include maintaining communication with various teams, managing project costs, and ensuring timely delivery. The company emphasizes a safe working environment and values rigorous adherence to policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business field required.
• Five or more years of production/project related experience in a custom manufacturing setting preferred.
• Prior project management / proposal development / estimating experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate the company’s Core Values throughout the organization.
• Ensure safety policies and procedures are followed.
• Drive completion of Clean Manufacturing Start milestones.
• Communicate with Production Control to maintain schedule adherence.
• Support the procurement process and assist in supplier evaluations.
• Travel as required to maintain Customer relationships.

Skills

Excellent planning and organizing

Strong communication (oral, written, interpersonal)

Great time management and prioritization

Excellent problem solving and decision making

Strong negotiation and persuasion

Understanding mechanical and metallurgical design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business field

Five or more years of production/project related experience

Prior project management / proposal development / estimating experience

Job description

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Project Services Director, the Project Manager (PM) is responsible for execution of projects from order receipt through completion of warranty. The PM is directly responsible for all Customer commercial communications, facilitating schedule compliance, maintaining the project cost summary, and administering all Job & Order Change Notices. The PM is accountable for overall project performance (schedule, budget, quality, technical compliance) through coordination & communication with the respective functional resources.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

• Demonstrate and instill the company’s Core Values throughout the organization.
• Ensure a safe working environment is maintained at all times by following and promoting safety policies and procedures.
• Strive to do things right the first time in collaboration with other support functions.
• Ensure a mutual understanding of each new order with the Proposal Manager: Evaluate and comment on the Customer PO, review labor/material estimates to understand cost basis and make/buy assumptions, and ensure scope is clearly defined.
• Drive timely completion of all Clean Manufacturing Start (CMS) milestones to ensure schedule compliance & on‑time delivery to customer.
• Track to resolution all job‑specific action items: Non‑Standard Activities, identified risks from the Kick‑Off Meeting (KOM), and ad‑hoc issues.
• Communicate with Production Control and the manufacturing plants to maintain on‑time fabrication progress and adherence to critical Customer milestones. Provide guidance for prioritization and planning changes.
• Participate in the development of baseline schedules and assist with Schedule Impact Assessments (SIA) as required, exhausting all viable options prior to moving Customer ship date.
• Provide regular schedule status updates to Customer.
• Support the procurement process by assisting in the following activities, as required: evaluation of supplier quotations, approval of purchase orders, price and/or delivery negotiations, supplier pre‑award meetings, and resolution of supplier related issues.
• Travel as required to develop and maintain Customer relationships.
• Maintain project cost summary and revise as required throughout the contract term.
• Initiate all project invoicing and support Accounting in the timely collection of receivables.
• Update the Key Order Review (KOR) notes for assigned projects and lead project status update at the KOR Meeting.
• Assist Engineering with the administration of Job Change Notices (JCN) and issue Order Change Notices (OCN) to the Customer for approval. Ensure closure of JCN’s and OCN’s on assigned projects.

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business field required.
• Five (5) or more years of production/project related experience in a custom manufacturing setting preferred.
• Prior project management / proposal development / estimating experience preferred.

Skills

• Excellent planning and organizing to achieve results with minimal direct supervision.
• Strong communication (oral, written, and interpersonal) to build productive working relationships inside and outside of the organization.
• Great time management and prioritization to balance multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent problem solving and decision making to independently move projects forward.
• Strong negotiation and persuasion to positively resolve project execution challenges.
• Ability to understand mechanical, metallurgical and process design subject areas.

Knowledge

• Project management, procurement, and engineering processes.
• Principles of an ERP system and the ability to work fluently in such.
• Engineered‑to‑Order processes & principles of fabrication.