Team Lead - Customer Project Manager

Stabilus; Gastonia (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Stabilus in Gastonia is looking for a Team Lead - Customer Project Manager in the Industrial Sales Division. This full-time role requires proven leadership abilities, project management expertise, and a solid background in sales operations. The position involves overseeing project lifecycle management, developing a structured team, and coordinating relationships with customers and distributors. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree and significant experience in project management, with proficiency in tools like SAP and MS Project.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of experience in project or program management.
• Minimum 2 years of direct team leadership or supervisory experience.
• Proven track record of delivering projects on time in a cross‑functional environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Customer Project Managers.
• Oversee project coordination from opportunity handoff through launch.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for account issues.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field

PMP or equivalent project management certification

Tools

ERP systems (SAP preferred)

CRM platforms

MS Project

Job description

Team Lead - Customer Project Manager – Industrial Sales

Department: Stabilus US / Americas, Industrial Sales Division

Reports to: Director of Engineering

Location: Gastonia, NC (Hybrid) at Stabilus Americas Headquarters

Travel: Less than 10%

Classification: Full-Time, Salary, Exempt

About Stabilus

Stabilus is a global leader in motion control technology - designing and manufacturing gas springs, dampers, and electromechanical drive systems for industrial, commercial, and automotive applications. With approximately €1.2 billion in annual revenue and operations across 45 locations worldwide, Stabilus serves customers in more than 50 countries. Our Americas Industrial Sales Division partners with direct customers and a broad distributor network to deliver custom‑engineered solutions across a wide range of industrial segments.

Summary

The Customer Project Manager (CPM) Team Lead is a key operational leadership role within the Industrial Sales Division. This position is responsible for building and leading a team of Customer Project Managers who coordinate new product projects from commercial opportunity through series production launch – serving both direct customers and distributor partners across the Americas region.

The CPM Team Lead combines hands‑on project oversight with people leadership, ensuring every project is delivered on time, at the right quality, and with a consistent customer experience. This role partners closely with Application Engineering, Sales, Quality, and Manufacturing to drive alignment and accountability across the full project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a structured team of Customer Project Managers across varying levels of experience.
• Define, develop, and continuously refine team roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths to support organizational growth and project complexity.
• Build team capability through regular one‑on‑one coaching, performance feedback, development planning, and succession planning.
• Identify skill gaps and coordinate targeted training to strengthen team effectiveness and consistency.
• Update and maintain the RASI and Support Matrix, with approval from department heads, to ensure clear ownership, accountability, and cross‑functional alignment.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, and continuous improvement within the team.

Project Management & Operational Oversight

• Oversee the full customer project coordination lifecycle, from opportunity handoff through launch and series production release.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve project templates, task lists, and standardized workflows, including communication of expected lead times for critical activities.
• Evaluate project tasks and progress to ensure due dates are achieved; proactively escalating risks, identify bottlenecks, and address internal capacity or process constraints that could impact delivery.
• Confirm that solution levels are properly assigned and consistently utilized across projects to confirm it represents sustainable business for Stabilus.
• Monitor project timelines, deliverables, and quotation quality to ensure execution meets company and customer expectations.
• Lead the ongoing improvement of project workflows, documentation practices, and standard operating procedures.
• Manage the implementation and maintenance of tiered project structures to support appropriate project governance and execution discipline.

Launch Management & Execution Accountability

• Hold overall responsibility for ensuring all customer project launches are executed on time, meet target objectives, and satisfy quality and business requirements.
• Drive launch readiness by monitoring key milestones, coordinating cross‑functional actions, and escalating issues that place launch timing or quality at risk.
• Facilitate formal pre‑release review meetings as required gates prior to series production release.
• Ensure timely communication with materials planning and purchasing when new components or requirements are introduced during launch preparation.
• Maintain focus on launch discipline and executional excellence across the entire project portfolio.

Customer, Distributor & Commercial Coordination

• Serve as the senior escalation point for distributor and direct customer account issues requiring leadership involvement.
• Oversee the team’s day‑to‑day coordination of distributor relationships, including quotations, pricing alignment, account reviews, and commercial support.
• Ensure quotations are prepared within established pricing authority and escalation guidelines according to agreed structures.
• Support distributor account planning, demand forecasting, and joint commercial initiatives to strengthen customer relationships and business performance.

Capacity Planning & Escalation Management

• Maintain visibility across team workload, project pipelines, and internal task queues to identify constraints before they affect customer commitments.
• Evaluate project activities to identify bottlenecks, restrictions, and capacity limitations across internal functions.
• Serve as the primary coordination link between Sales and internal prototype, pilot, and launch execution teams.
• Balance priorities across the active project portfolio to protect customer commitments and business objectives.
• Evaluate PPAP pilot requests to confirm appropriate quantities, validate customer requirements, and ensure no practical alternative solution exists before approval.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the central liaison between Customer Project Management, Application Engineering, Quality, Launch Coordination, Sales, and other supporting functions.
• Ensure project ownership, responsibilities, and expectations are clearly communicated at project initiation and throughout execution.
• Act as an internal advocate for the customer experience by promoting transparency, responsiveness, and alignment across all functions.
• Drive strong collaboration across both direct and distributor sales channels to ensure consistency in execution and communication.

Metrics, KPI Ownership & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and own the KPI framework for the Customer Project Management function, including measures related to speed, quality, customer satisfaction, team performance, and structural effectiveness.
• Establish metrics that evaluate whether team structure, processes, and project execution methods are contributing to business success or revealing areas of inefficiency or loss.
• Lead regular performance reviews and provide concise, actionable reporting to leadership.
• Analyze recurring issues, project delays, and process bottlenecks to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Drive process simplification, automation, and knowledge capture initiatives, including playbooks, standard operating procedures, and reference guides.

Key Performance Indicators

• Customer Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Team Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)
• Quotation Cycle Time by Project Type
• On‑Time Milestones
• Launch Quality
• Project Launch Performance vs. Target Timing
• Internal Process Efficiency and Capacity Utilization

Required Skills & Competencies

• Proven leadership capability with the ability to coach, develop, and hold a team accountable in a high‑performance environment.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities across a complex stakeholder landscape.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and escalation management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build alignment and resolve issues across functions without direct authority.
• Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and process governance.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to develop, interpret, and act on performance metrics and operational data.
• Commercial awareness, including a working understanding of pricing, margin considerations, and customer profitability.
• Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to create structure, standardize processes, and improve execution in evolving environments.
• Servant‑leadership approach, leading with accountability, humility, and professionalism.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field - Required
• PMP or equivalent project management certification - Preferred
• Credentials in APQP, ISO/IATF, or Lean Six Sigma - Preferred
• Formal training in leadership or people management - Preferred

Experience

Required

• 5–8 years of experience in project or program management, sales operations, or technical sales coordination
• Minimum 2 years of direct team leadership or supervisory experience
• Proven track record of delivering projects on time in a cross‑functional environment
• Hands‑on experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred), CRM platforms, and MS Project or equivalent
• Background in manufacturing, industrial, or automotive environments

Preferred

• Background in manufacturing, industrial, or automotive environments
• Familiarity with product development lifecycles and production launch processes (e.g., PPAP, APQP)
• Experience managing distributor or channel partner relationships
• Exposure to quality systems and production readiness reviews