Senior R&D Project Manager (CPG)

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Senior R&D Project Manager (CPG)
Location: Solon, OH
Company:  Fortune 100 Food & Beverage Manufacturing (FuseGlobal has worked with this company for 20 years)
Initial term: 14 months (position expected to run longer)
Schedule: on site Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm

About This Role:  

In this position, you will:

• Lead several R&D projects / programs within the product technology center, with a focus on top priority Innovation and Renovation projects across the frozen foods businesses (meals, pizza and snacking).
• Plan projects end-to-end, ensuring alignment with Idea-to-Launch (I2L) and key corporate strategies and commitments.
• Orchestrate a cross-functional and multi-disciplinary team (R&D, SBU, Zone, Markets) to achieve the project defined key success criteria and deliver against the business case
• Manage project stakeholders; negotiating with key decision makers and leveraging with internal and external networks will be essential for your success. Reporting to the product technology center project management office lead, this is a key role to ensure projects are delivered according to key performance criteria and to the satisfaction of key stakeholders.

The position requires strong project management/leadership, communication, organization, and presentation skills.

What You'll Do:

Project Management/Leadership:

• Contribute to the future commercial success of the business by considering the whole picture of the project (E2E).
• Be responsible for project management of cross-functional teams of marketing, quality assurance, engineering, product development, etc., promoting a team-building atmosphere for efficient, effective, and flawless execution of the projects along the entire flow.
• Communicate project status using excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills.
• Effectively control scope changes through proactive and open communication with stakeholders.
• Manage parallel and sequential project tasks.
• Identify and communicate project costs and accelerated timing opportunities and risks.
• Generate and effectively record new knowledge.

People and Resource Management:  

• Define roles and responsibilities required for the project.
• Perform effective resource planning.
• Ensure resources are available for the project.
• Create project team spirit to deliver high quality results on time, on cost, and on quality.

Stakeholder engagement:

• Manage project stakeholders and negotiate with decision makers and business partners internally and externally.
• Engage in vertical and horizontal communication.
• Simplify complex information into simple concepts.
• Create synergies through effective networking with all relevant R&D units, business partners, markets, SBUs, head office, and external partners.

Coaching and Sharing:  

• Facilitate and coach within the project team and enhance the interaction and collaboration between the various specialists within the product technology center and across R&D units, technical and business units, and external partners.
• Develop junior project manager capabilities in project management through regular coaching.

What You Bring:

• Minimum of Bachelor in Science or engineering degree (or equivalent), with a sound knowledge of project management.
• 5+ years of project management experience, preferably in R&D and/or food & beverage company.
• 7+ years of experience in R&D, operations, markets, and/or commercial functions.
• Proven track record of strong project management.

Bonus Points:

• Project Management Professional (PMP/PMI) certification is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Up to $92.80 per hour + overtime
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k)
• Disability insurance

About FuseGlobal:
FuseGlobal is a partnership of people and brand-leading companies, working together to make things run better. For 25 years we have brought functionality to complex business and production processes and supply chains, resulting in enterprises that run smarter and more sustainably. Interested in digital manufacturing, industrial engineering, supply chain management, all-things tech, and energy & the environment? This is where we live. Engage with us!