Strategic Initiatives Project Manager

Milwaukee Succeeds; Grand Rapids, Northern (MI, KY); Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Competitive compensation

Pay transparency

Global opportunities

Job summary

Dematic is seeking a Strategic Initiatives Project Manager for the United States in the Mods & Upgrades unit. You will lead cross-functional programs to drive transformation, partnering with executives and business teams to define strategy and delivery.

You will report to the VP of Mods & Upgrades and progress toward a leadership role within 18–24 months, guiding governance, risk, and change management across functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, IT, Operations Management or related field.
• 5+ years of project, program, or strategic initiative management experience.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and leading transformation initiatives.
• Ability to influence executives and manage complex stakeholder networks.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise and business-unit strategic initiatives from concept through execution.
• Define objectives, success criteria, roadmaps, and deliverables with leadership.
• Develop program plans, budgets, risks, and governance for execution.
• Provide executive updates and ensure benefits realization.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication

Problem-solving

Agile / Scrum

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Project

Power BI

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Grand Rapids , MI / Summerville , SC / Wauwatosa , WI ... View All

Dematic has an immediate need for a Strategic Initiatives Project Manager in the Mods and Upgrades Business Unit for the United States. This role is part of the North America Lifecycle Solutions and Services team (commonly referred to as Aftermarket) that works to support our existing customer sites with Modifications and Upgrades to their systems based on our expansive domain knowledge to help improve their safety, lower their costs and be more productive through all phases of the system's lifecycle.

The Strategic Initiatives Project Manager is responsible for leading and executing high-impact, cross-functional strategic programs that drive business transformation, operational excellence, growth, and organizational priorities. This role partners closely with executive leadership, business stakeholders, product teams, engineering, operations, finance, and commercial organizations to define strategy, develop implementation plans, manage risks, and ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.

The ideal candidate combines strong project management expertise, business acumen, stakeholder management skills, and the ability to drive alignment and execution across complex organizations. This role will report directly to the Vice President of Mods & Upgrades; the ideal candidate is someone with Project Management experience that is looking to step into a leadership position within the next 18 to 24 months.

We offer:

What We Offer:

• Career Development
• Competitive Compensation and Benefit
• Pay Transparency
• Global Opportunities

Learn More Here: https://www.dematic.com/en-us/about/careers/what-we-offer/

Dematic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

The base pay range for this role is estimated to be $102,750 - $150,700 at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined by various factors such as work location, education, experience, knowledge, and skills.

Tasks and Qualifications:

This is What You Will do in This Role:

Strategic Program Leadership

• Lead enterprise and business-unit strategic initiatives from concept through execution and for value realization.
• Partner with executive leadership to define program objectives, success criteria, business outcomes, and implementation roadmaps.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable project plans, milestones, resource requirements, and measurable deliverables.
• Ensure alignment between strategic initiatives and organizational priorities.

Project & Portfolio Management

• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, schedules, budgets, dependencies, and resource forecasts.
• Monitor program performance, identify risks and issues, and implement mitigation plans to ensure successful delivery.
• Track project progress against scope, cost, quality, and timeline commitments.
• Establish governance frameworks and facilitate decision-making processes across stakeholders.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Coordinate activities across multiple business functions, including Operations, Engineering, Product Management, Sales, Marketing, Finance, IT, and Customer Support.
• Facilitate alignment among diverse stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Lead recurring program reviews, steering committee meetings, and executive status updates.
• Drive accountability and action-item closure across project teams.

Change Management & Business Transformation

• Support organizational change initiatives associated with strategic programs.
• Develop communication plans to ensure stakeholder alignment and adoption.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and implement best practices that improve organizational effectiveness.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Financial & Business Case Management

• Develop business cases, cost-benefit analyses, ROI assessments, and funding recommendations for strategic investments.
• Monitor budgets and expenditures to ensure initiatives remain within approved financial parameters.
• Track benefits realization and report outcomes against approved business objectives.
• Support annual planning and strategic investment prioritization exercises.

Executive Communications & Reporting

• Provide concise and actionable updates to senior leadership regarding program status, risks, decisions, dependencies, and business impacts.
• Develop executive-level presentations, reports, dashboards, and performance metrics.
• Escalate critical issues and recommend corrective actions when required.
• Support governance reviews and strategic planning discussions.

What We are Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Information Technology, Operations Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of project, program, or strategic initiative management experience.
• Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional projects and business transformation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and governance practices.
• Experience managing executive stakeholders and influencing decision-making.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• PMP, PgMP, Agile, Scrum, Lean, or Six Sigma certification.
• Experience supporting digital transformation, product modernization, operational excellence, or enterprise software initiatives.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Project, Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint, and collaboration platforms.