OPR 4020 Engineering R&D Project Manager -1st Shift

OPR 4020 Engineering R&D Project Manager -1st Shift

OPR 4020 Engineering R&D Project Manager -1st Shift
Location: Rockford, IL
Exempt/Non-Exempt: Non-Exempt
Employment Type: Full Time
Department: 660
Description:

Position Purpose

The Engineering R&D Project Manager is accountable for the planning, leading, and execution of R&D projects. The Project Manager is responsible to maintain a project climate responsive to the need to innovate, design, develop, validate, improve, and/or support development of technologies and platforms. The incumbent generally reports to an Engineering Director and is relied upon to provide a high level of project management expertise in directing technology, platform, customer interactions and other engineering related matters.
Duties:

Essential Functions

Tactical Responsibilities
* Coordinate/lead multiple projects of med-high complexity or projects with multiple sub-projects
* Maintains and reports regularly standard program overviews.
* Drives risk management process
* Accountable for PLC process compliance and project execution through 499. Oversees assigned Project Managers and/or Project Coordinators to meet QDRC and Charter objectives established at project approval (100-400) and subsequent Gate Exit Reviews.
* Maintains and provides Technology and platform metrics. Plans, reviews, and tracks project cost. Drives platforms cost (DTC) process.
* Project resource management coordinating across COEs as required.
* Works across business and departments outside of engineering to break down barriers that may prevent project success.
Strategic Responsibilities
* Drives a robust innovation culture through efficient execution of R&D and platform projects.
* Supports technology and platform program integrity. Responsible for the deliverables and results of assigned technology and platform projects.
* Provides a level of customer interface, including on-site visits, to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction and alignment with customer demonstration.
* Presents and represents project status to customer and Woodward managers.
* Participate in strategic planning/profit planning processes. Provides support in developing budgets to support profit planning activities and manages within the budget.
* Participate in and support new business development (proposals and charters).
* Accountable for scope change management: Responsible to orchestrate with the accountable engineering manager, product line manager, and the team to be responsive to customer or technical scope change.
* Evaluate and implement continuous improvement in the R&D and Systems development process. May include authoring documents and standards.

Other Functions

* Assure customer and product forecasting and Sales Order demand is managed.
* Evaluate and drive implementation and maintenance of appropriate project management tools within the CoE.
* Leverage all engineering groups to minimize total investment.
* Participate in product portfolio management.
* Participate, as appropriate, in BOA process evaluating new opportunities.
* Collaborate with Sourcing to assure technology road-mapping with suppliers.
* May attend external events, such as trade shows, conferences, etc. to seek out, evaluate and deploy new methods to improve the company's overall competitiveness.
* May participate and/or lead internal or external committees (such as innovation, patent committees, SAE, RTCA committees, etc.) and support other committees to the extent required.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

* Good knowledge of project management tools.
* Good knowledge of the product life cycle.
* Good leadership skills including the building of effective teams, an ability to manage conflict, the effective setting of priorities in the team and an ability to clearly define roles, responsibilities and objectives.
* Moderate and lead project and drive technical decisions.
* Ability to prepare technical and strategic issues for management decisions.
* Effective strategic, long-term and planning thought processes.
* Excellent communication and presentation skills to customers and Woodward management.
* Strong business sense, enterprise negotiation.
* Strong understanding of financial analysis tools.
* Demonstrate ability to identify and mitigate project risks.
* Demonstrates a commitment to Quality, specifically 6 Sigma, BTO, Lean and continuous improvement.
* Focused on customer needs, builds and maintains trust in relationship
Qualifications:

Education/Formal Training

* Bachelors of Science in Engineering or other Bachelors Degree in a closely related technical field required ie. Physics
* MBA or International equivalent desired
* Green Belt preferred

Experience

* 4 years experience in R&D Engineering, Systems Engineering or Development Engineering Environment
* 2 years minimum in project management