Lead Project Manager

Lead Project Manager

Heitek Automation, a SunSource company, is a leading provider of industrial automation components and integrated solutions. With decades of experience across industries including medical, life sciences, machine building, automotive, semiconductor, food & beverage, and water processing, we bring deep technical expertise to every project. Our commitment to exceptional service and innovative problem-solving helps customers overcome their most complex automation challenges.

The Lead Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the successful execution of customer projects from order receipt through final delivery. This position serves as the primary liaison between customers, sales, engineering, purchasing, production, warehouse operations, and suppliers to ensure projects are completed on schedule and meet customer expectations.

The Lead Project Manager provides leadership and guidance on project execution, establishes priorities, identifies risks, and drives cross-functional communication to support on-time and profitable project completion.

Essential Functions

Primary Responsibilities

• Customer project scheduling
• Control panel build coordination
• Material readiness tracking
• Maintain Change Log for approved requested changes and related costs.
• Engineering release coordination
• ERP production order creation / maintenance
• Production schedule communication
• Customer status updates
• Materials expedite coordination
• Maintain Open Issues Matrix
• Problem solve with other teams to meet customer requirements.
• Shipment coordination
• Project closeout

Key Metrics

• On-Time Delivery %
• Budget Maintenance
• Engineering Release Compliance
• Material Availability at Build Start
• Expedite Frequency
• Customer Satisfaction
• Revenue Shipped vs. Schedule
• Open Past-Due Projects
• Post production change minimization
• Systematic order maintenance and accuracy

The Lead Project Manager has the authority to:

• Assign Projects to Project Manager Staff
• Call project review meetings.
• Collaborate on production schedule with Production Managers
• Escalate material shortages.
• Escalate engineering delays.
• Recommend production priorities.
• Hold departments accountable to project milestones.

Key Competencies & Skills:

Leadership & Team Development

• Directly supervise and support Project Managers and other assigned team members.
• Assign workload and establish priorities to ensure project deadlines are met.
• Provide coaching, training, and performance feedback.
• Conduct performance evaluations and support employee development plans.
• Promote collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the project coordination team.
• Assist in recruiting, onboarding, and training new team members as needed.
• Monitor team performance and workload capacity to ensure efficient project execution.

Additional Success Measures

In addition to project execution metrics, the role should be evaluated on:

• Team productivity and workload balance
• Employee development and retention
• Accuracy and timeliness of project communication
• Reduction in project delays and escalations
• Continuous improvement initiatives implemented
• Cross-functional collaboration effectiveness

Experience, Education and Skills

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, or a related field
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification or equivalent is highly desirable

Experience:

• Preferred 2-5 years minimum of project management experience in a relevant industry
• Proven track record of successfully managing projects from initiation to completion
• Experience with project management methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, or Waterfall
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets, timelines, and resources effectively
• Experience in risk management and developing mitigation strategies

Success in This Role

A successful Lead Project Manager consistently delivers projects on schedule, on budget, communicates effectively across departments, proactively resolves issues, maintains strong customer relationships, and helps create a culture of accountability and operational excellence.