Lead Project Manager - Heavy Industrial

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

American Equipment Holdings is one of the leading overhead crane solutions providers in the United States. Over the years, our ability to grow and set ourselves apart from the competition is the result of a tried and true philosophy – take care of our customers and take care of our people.

Position Summary

The Lead Project Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Project Management function. This role is accountable for building and developing a high-performing team of Project Managers who consistently deliver projects with integrity, excellence, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction—both external and internal.

The Lead Project Manager ensures the application of PMI-based project management principles, Lean Six-Sigma practices, and the AEH Quality Management System (QMS) across the full project portfolio, driving on-time, on-budget, high-quality outcomes at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a team of Project Managers; set clear performance expectations, conduct regular reviews, and foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Own the overall performance of the project portfolio: schedule adherence, budget control, quality, risk management, and customer satisfaction metrics.
• Establish, standardize, and continuously improve project management processes, tools, and best practices (including Mission Control, Microsoft Project, and Critical Chain methodologies) in alignment with the AEH QMS.
• Oversee resource planning and capacity management across the Project Management team to ensure optimal allocation of people and support for production schedules and delivery commitments.
• Provide executive-level visibility into project health, risks, opportunities, change orders, and performance trends; escalate critical issues and recommend corrective actions.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Sales, Quality, and other stakeholders to align project execution with broader business objectives and lean manufacturing principles.
• Ensure consistent, professional communication standards—including structured kickoff, progress, and hyper-care meetings—with documented agendas and minutes.
• Drive the identification, documentation, and control of engineering submittals, change orders, risks, opportunities, costs, and expenditure schedules in accordance with the QMS, including projects involving government facilities with high documentation and liquidated-damages requirements.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives and Lean Six-Sigma practices within the Project Management function to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and elevate delivery quality.
• Support talent acquisition, onboarding, and succession planning for the Project Management team.
• Model and reinforce AEH’s core values of integrity, customer focus, and care for people in all interactions.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Proven leadership and people-management skills with the ability to build, motivate, and retain high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills; able to influence at all levels and handle high-impact situations with maturity, confidence, and respect.
• Deep expertise in PMI-based project management principles, schedule control, risk management, and cost control, ideally within a lean manufacturing environment governed by a formal QMS.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a track record of identifying and implementing creative solutions to complex, multi-stakeholder challenges.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while fostering effective teamwork and minimizing conflict.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office (especially Excel), Microsoft Project, and related project scheduling/file-management tools.
• Customer-service focused with strong organizational, prioritization, and time-management capabilities.
• Ability to translate strategic goals into operational execution and continuous process improvement.

Education and Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive project management experience, including at least 3–5 years in a people-leadership or team-lead capacity overseeing Project Managers or equivalent roles.
• Proven experience managing complex projects (or portfolios) in a lean manufacturing or industrial environment with a formal Quality Management System.
• Microsoft Project scheduling experience required; Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) experience strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• PMP certification strongly preferred; CAPM or equivalent acceptable with significant experience.
• Lean Six-Sigma Green Belt (or higher) certification desired.
• Prior LEAN Manufacturing experience highly desirable.

Work Environment

This is a full-time onsite position in Salt Lake City, UT; standard 8-hour days, Monday through Friday, with occasional travel as needed to support projects, team development, or customer engagements. Relocation for this role available.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay and benefits
• On-the-job training, professional development, and leadership support
• Fast-growing company with clear opportunities to grow with the business
• Ability to drive high-impact initiatives that shape project delivery excellence across the organization

American Equipment Holdings is an organization of leading overhead crane and hoist, industrial weighing, and below-the-hook service providers in the United States. Together, our companies provide comprehensive solutions for everything related to customers’ overhead crane and hoist, rigging, and weighing and measurement needs, including OSHA-mandated inspections, preventative maintenance and repair field services, parts, engineering, ISO-certified fabrication, new and replacement equipment, automated systems, system modernizations, and training. American Equipment Holdings is one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in our space with more than 800 dedicated team members that serve thousands of customers throughout the United States.

Proof of right to lawfully work in the United States required. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment per the Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.