Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

PROJECT MANAGER

SawStop, the world leader in power tool safety, is looking for driven, passionate engineers to join our growing engineering team. Our engineers develop world class products that improve the lives of users by preventing devastating and life-changing table saw injuries.

Experience this incredible innovation firsthand by joining our dedicated team of highly talented engineers. We offer a fun, fast-paced environment that supports practical innovation – creating new products that are meaningful for our customers. You'll be able to immediately make meaningful contributions to our next generation of products.

Teamwork and collaborative discussions are second nature to us at SawStop, and we thrive working side-by-side with subject matter experts on safety system designs, electrical motor controls, and other new concepts for improved systems and completely different tools.

Join our team and make a difference in the success of SawStop and the lives of thousands of users.

PRIMARY FUNCTION

The Project Manager is responsible for driving successful delivery of one or more cross-departmental New Product Development (NPD) projects of varying complexity; balancing cost, schedule, and performance objectives according to business priorities. Close collaboration with Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Service, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Operations, and vendor partners is required. The Project Manager will lead NPD projects from kickoff through product launch, and thus will frequently represent the status and needs of these initiatives to an executive audience.

 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project Planning
  • Facilitate the team's collaborative refinement of the project scope, based on business goals and resource considerations.
  • With an aligned scope, explore and document the appropriate functional work plans and inter-team dependencies required to deliver the product with input from team members and managers, as appropriate.
  • Develop and maintain an appropriately detailed project schedule that the project team can commit to delivering and the stakeholders can commit to support.
  • Clearly and regularly communicate project assumptions, risks to delivery and opportunities for improved outcomes to stakeholders
• Project Execution
  • Single-point accountability for strategic project success; true pivot / center locus for project communication with the empowerment to engage with the full executive leadership team (ELT) in order to ensure clear lines of escalation if required for project success
  • Coordinate project team activities to ensure deliverables are on time, at cost, within budget, and meet expected quality and performance targets
  • Track project team progress to plan and work with team proactively to identify and implement mitigations
  • Coordinate and track relevant activities owned by contract manufacturer(s)
  • Anticipate project team deliverables in all phases, and clearly understand the philosophies of the various NPD phases
  • Communicate the maturity level and technical risks of various aspects of the product and secure additional subject matter expert feedback when needed
  • Regularly solicit feedback from project team members, their functional managers, and stakeholders to understand what they need to be successful individually and together on the project
  • Proactively identify and eliminate barriers to the project team's progress to committed plan
  • Continuously identify, assess, and update the project issues and risks, effectively evaluate and prioritize mitigation plans including escalations or special approval cycles if needed
  • Coordinate preparation for all project builds through initial production run
  • Lead project risk management analysis and planning meetings
• Project Financials
  • Prepare and update project expense & tooling budgets
  • Monitor project expense and capital budgets relative to plan, provide regular updates to stakeholders, and provide options to remedy any meaningful departures from committed budget.
• Project Reporting and Communication
  • Schedule, create agendas, facilitate, and document regular project meetings
  • Initiate on-demand topical discussions with key stakeholders to escalate team needs as barriers to progress emerge
  • Clearly and effectively share overall project status, risks, issues, mitigations, and any breaking needs to leadership and executive team as appropriate
  • Measure project performance against KPIs (key performance indicators) that roll up to the enterprise balanced scorecard
  • Facilitate effective meetings and actively drive effective decision-making
  • Prepare and collect documentation from functional team members to satisfy NPD gate requirements
  • Responsible for all communication with NPD project contract manufacturer(s), other than that which is within the domain of Supply Chain: price, contract terms, and associated negotiations
  • Responsible for all regular communication of project health, status, and needs with executive team. Note: Product requirements, the roadmap, portfolio and individual product P&L, and associated communications are the responsibility of the relevant Product Manager
• Miscellaneous
  • Provide timely and constructive team member performance feedback to functional managers about their direct reports
  • Some international travel is required, generally in support of vendor builds

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience managing projects of comparable size and complexity (likely including electrical, software, and mechanical system integration with overseas production)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the company
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and make decisions under pressure
• Ability to switch focus between task specifics and the overall project outlook and health
• As a technically-oriented leader, able to autonomously identify and escalate project risks and issues as the first line of defense against challenges to project cost, schedule, and performance
• Working understanding of product requirements and agency certification process
• Proficiency with project management and planning software, such as Jira, Microsoft Project, Planisware, or LiquidPlanner, including dynamic resource balancing
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint)
• Ability to assemble and monitor project budgets
• Self-starter, internally motivated
• Proactive, inquisitive, problem-solving nature

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ yr experience managing complex, consumer goods or tool development projects
• Prior development experience with consumer, industrial, or aerospace products
• Sound understanding of financial/accounting fundamentals
• Studies in Project Management and/or Project Management certification
• Inspiring and motivational leader
• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or equivalent
• Experience working with offshore suppliers, especially Asia
• Familiar with various forms of engineering documentation
• Proven ability to solve problems creatively

 

COMPANY PROFILE

SawStop is the world leader in power tool safety.

Headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon we design, engineer, and manufacture innovative woodworking power tools and accessories for amateur and professional markets. All SawStop power tools feature our patented safety technology that has saved tens of thousands of users from devastating, life-changing table saw injuries.

Our commitment to quality, innovation, and safety over the past 20 years has made us the industry leader. We're a passionate, collaborative, and intellectually curious group of nearly 100 professionals who care as much about each other as we do our product. Focused on innovation and best-in-class quality, we are always looking for smart creative thinkers to expand our product line and reach new markets.

 

BENEFITS

Our Team Members are what make SawStop special. That's why we're committed to taking care of our team through a comprehensive benefits program.

• Employee-Centered Medical Plan – 95% paid for the employee and eligible dependents.
• Available Health Savings Plan
• Available Flexible Saving Account - Health Care/Dependent Care
• 100% Paid Dental
• 100% Paid Vision
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Mental Health and Wellness Resource
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401k Retirement Plans with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Tutoring Support for Team Member's Kids (Grades K-12)
• Competitive Compensation Package
• Opportunities for Professional Development
• Job-Related Education Assistance Program
• Onsite role with flexibility: 4 days onsite with up to one remote day per week, excluding Wednesdays. Flex Friday benefit is available after 90-day Introductory period