Manufacturing Project Manager

Position Overview

The Project Manager II manages complex customer projects from purchase order acceptance through manufacturing, shipment, and closeout. This hands-on role coordinates customers and internal teams—including Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Purchasing, and vendors—to keep requirements, schedules, documentation, commercial commitments, and quality expectations aligned.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage customer projects from purchase order acceptance through production, shipment, and closeout.
• Review purchase orders, specifications, schedules, terms, documentation, and commercial requirements; identify risks or gaps early.
• Develop and maintain schedules, milestones, action lists, documentation requirements, and delivery commitments.
• Coordinate execution across manufacturing locations and monitor production progress, capacity, and schedule constraints.
• Partner with Engineering on drawings, technical submittals, customer approvals, design questions, and project-specific requirements.
• Coordinate vendors and suppliers so purchased components and subcontracted work support project timelines.
• Serve as a communication link among customers, Sales, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Management.
• Provide clear status updates on production progress, schedules, technical questions, changes, risks, and required actions.
• Identify and resolve schedule, technical, commercial, manufacturing, and supply-chain risks before commitments are affected.
• Track scope changes and coordinate technical, commercial, cost, and scheduling impacts.
• Maintain accurate project records, approvals, schedules, customer requirements, and status documentation.
• Manage multiple projects, prioritize competing deadlines, and drive open actions to completion.
• Improve project coordination, execution processes, communication, and customer satisfaction.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 3–5 years of project management, program management, manufacturing, engineered products, industrial equipment, construction, EPC, or related experience.
• Experience managing complex customer orders or projects involving multiple departments, manufacturing functions, and suppliers.
• Experience coordinating schedules, deliverables, customer requirements, and project documentation.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities with strong follow-up and accountability.
• Strong communication, organization, time management, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret purchase orders, specifications, schedules, technical documents, and commercial requirements.
• Ability and willingness to work fully onsite in Cleveland, Ohio.

Preferred Qualifications

• Manufacturing or engineered-products experience, ideally industrial equipment or gear-related products.
• Experience working directly with customers, vendors, Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, and Purchasing.
• Technical or engineering background; an engineering degree is helpful but not required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, Construction Management, Project Management, or a related field.
• PMP or similar project-management certification.
• Experience with ERP, CRM, scheduling, or project-management systems.
• Willingness to travel to other manufacturing locations as needed.

Skills and Success Profile

• Project scheduling, milestone tracking, deliverable management, risk identification, issue resolution, and project closeout.
• Cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Production, Purchasing, Quality, vendors, and customers.
• Strong ownership: follows up consistently, closes open actions, and takes responsibility for outcomes.
• Proactive risk management before issues affect schedule, cost, quality, or customer expectations.
• Professional customer communication, including production status, technical requirements, delivery dates, and commercial matters.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and requirements.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and the ability to learn technical and operational information quickly.