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Position Overview
The Project Manager is primarily and directly accountable for the planning, execution, and closure of cross-functional projects for Wanzl North America, delivering an approved scope on schedule and within budget. The PM will lead, manage, plan, and administer the operational activities for one or more global project teams, driving direction and applying the WNA project management standard consistently across every project. This role will organize project activities and project team meetings including resources and stakeholders; ensures communication facilitates completion of the program/project on schedule and within budget constraints. The Project Manager is accountable for delivering an approved scope through a disciplined, repeatable process, and for administering the change control process through which that scope is formally revised.
Project management methodology, tools, and standards at WNA are owned by Design & Development (D&D). The Project Manager operates that standard, drives its adoption and consistent adherence across the assigned project portfolio, and serves as its most practiced user. Execution experience gained in the field is carried back to D&D through a recurring process review so the standard continues to mature. Authorship and maintenance of the standard remain with D&D; adherence and adoption are core expectations of this role.
WNA may have multiple projects ongoing at any given time which are cross-functional, resourced internationally, and involve customers, partners, and other stakeholders related to the development of products for North America. Development projects will cover the entire product development cycle, from ideation through production. Various teams and team members may be located across Europe, Asia, and/or North America, and therefore close coordination and management of the global team is required.
The ideal candidate will have a keen understanding of product development for durable goods, including a strong understanding of injection molding and associated tooling, metalworking, welding, wire forming, and assembly methods, and production.
Company and Opportunity Overview
WNA’s vision is to be a leading entrepreneurial player in terms of market share, agility, and game-changing solutions. WNA is a solution provider, creating value along the supply chain of our customers, from online purchase to their customers.
WNA is headquartered in the Charlotte Metro Area, North Carolina. With around 500 employees and ~$200M of sales, WNA focuses on the retail and distribution market segments with marquee customers such as Walmart, Amazon, and the majority of large grocers and retailers.
In addition to being the largest manufacturer of shopping carts in North America, WNA has three additional main product segments as well as a Service business, providing turnkey solutions for customer guidance (Access Systems), Shelving & Fixtures, and Material Handling products.
Access Solutions provides sophisticated customer guidance and loss prevention systems for major retailers. With German-engineered products and a strong installed base, this segment focuses on protecting existing market share while expanding into adjacent opportunities in smart retail, autonomous store technology, and digital integration.
Additionally, WNA offers a range of digital solutions integrated into our products, including advanced shopping cart containment systems, smart exit gate technology, and innovations for autonomous and semi-autonomous retail stores. We are continuously expanding and enhancing our digital offerings to meet evolving customer needs and drive industry advancement.
WNA is part of the Wanzl Group, headquartered in Germany, and has 12 plants in 8 countries, providing comprehensive, solutions-driven service and expert knowledge of local markets for customers across the globe through their 360° service.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Manage all project phases, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure
- Create project plans, including deliverables, activities, timelines, resource requirements, and budgets
- Anticipate problems, roadblocks and major obstructions, and plan accordingly
- Ensure milestones are successfully met through oversight and coordination of project resources
- Coordinate project management activities throughout the Wanzl global network to ensure accurate tracking of all inter-project dependencies
- Build, track, and report project timelines and budgets
- Assess, manage, resolve and escalate risks and issues
- Make decisions based on information and input in a timely manner
- Administer change control: receive, document, and route requests for changes to approved scope for decision, and maintain traceability of all approved changes
- Monitor project results against the approved technical specification and escalate deviations
- Drive adoption of, and consistent adherence to, the stage-gate process across the assigned portfolio, acting as its practical champion with project teams
- Partner with D&D through a recurring process review, proposing refinements based on execution experience; D&D adjudicates and maintains the standard
- Prepare and present gate review packages, including a substantiated recommendation to advance, hold, or redirect
- Create and maintain comprehensive project management documentation to the standard owned by D&D
- Create and deliver presentations to customer, leadership team, as well as the Management Board in Germany, demonstrating ownership of the entire process
- Lead communication with stakeholders and team members through completion of the project
- Provide scheduled and on-demand status reports and updates
- Travel: Up to 20%, including international travel as the needs of the business dictate
Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree required; Engineering or Engineering technology, or other technical degree preferred
- 6+ years of work experience; 3+ years of practical project management experience; 2+ years of project management experience within new product development (NPD)
- PMP certification and or MBA is preferred
- Demonstrated ability to close projects on time and within budget
- Demonstrated experience with metal fabrication, welding, and wire-formed assemblies, and/or plastic injection tooling and production, preferred
- Experience coordinating project teams across multiple countries and time zones preferred
- Proactive, independent, and strong work ethic
- Ability to adapt and succeed in a changing environment
- Ability to convey information in an organized and easy to understand manner
- Solid time management, planning and organization skills
- Excellent facilitation, communication, interpersonal, planning, and negotiating skills.
- Demonstrated ability to motivate and communicate with others at all levels
- Able to lead, set direction, energize and harness resources of multiple teams
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