Project Leader

Project Leader

Job Summary: Lead and coordinate New Product Introduction (NPI) projects in a global, finish goods sourcing, supplier-led manufacturing environment. Drive cross-functional alignment, execution discipline, and launch readiness by proactively managing schedules, risks, and interdependencies across Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Sourcing, Quality, Supply Chain, and external manufacturing partners to ensure new products meet cost, quality, and timing objectives.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities (100%):

• Project Leader (New Product Introduction Projects)
• Lead approximately 6–8 concurrent NPI projects at varying stages of development, balancing priorities, risks, and resource constraints.
• Serve as the primary integration point across Manufacturing Suppliers, Engineering, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Sales and Marketing throughout development and launch.
• Drive adherence to the global new product roadmaps, milestone governance, and launch readiness requirements through standard NPI forums and product development reviews.
• Partner with external manufacturing suppliers and internal stakeholders to assess and validate manufacturing readiness, including process capability, tooling status, capacity planning, and launch feasibility.
• Proactively identify, assess, and escalate schedule, cost, quality, and supplier-related risks; drive mitigation plans with accountable functional owners.
• Maintain clear, consistent project communication with cross-functional teams and supplier partners regarding status, risks, key decisions, and escalation needs.
• Track and communicate overall project health across capital funding, cost, quality, timing, and risk metrics; support data-driven decision making at senior leadership reviews.
• Support execution discipline across NPI projects while operating within a matrixed organization where functional ownership resides with Engineering, Sourcing, Quality, and Operations.

Education and Experience Profile:

• Bachelor's degree in business or technical field (Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain).
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPSM) Certificate or Project Management (PMP) Certificate also desirable.
• 3+ years of combined manufacturing, engineering, operations, sourcing, purchasing, with proven negotiating skills.
• 3+ years of experience supporting New Product Introduction projects.
• Project management experience with medium-to-large projects.
• Experience working with external manufacturing suppliers and understanding production metrics, capacity planning and issues resolution.
• Exposure to manufacturing processes such as die casting, injection molding, CNC machining, stamping, forging, automated assembly, and metal finishing is a plus.

Required Skills:

• Strong cross-functional leadership and influence in a matrixed, global environment.
• Proactive problem identification and structured risk assessment.
• Clear, concise communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguity and drive execution without direct authority.
• Proficient with Microsoft applications, especially Project, Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Boundarylessness - Works in the best interests of all - within and across functions, levels.
• When something is broken, regardless of responsibility, and takes the action needed to fix it.
• Risk Taking – Takes reasonable and well thought through risks. If mistakes occur initially, learn from them to increase future success.
• Takes initiative and isn't afraid to take untested or new approaches and actions.
• Urgency - Does what can and should be done right now as quickly and effectively as possible.
• Raise the Bar - Does better every time and every day in every situation. Creates and accomplishes continually increasing standards of excellence.

Work Environment:

• Ability to travel up to 15% of time, mainly internationally to Asia.
• Working conditions are standard for an office environment.
• Hybrid schedule: on-site Tuesday–Thursday, remote Monday and Friday.

Pay Range: $104,192 to $164,359.

Nearest Major Market: Orange County Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles