McKenna Labs, a manufacturer of personal care products, is currently seeking a Product Development (PD) Project Manager who is responsible for driving client projects from initial quote stage to delivery, Tec transfer and company development projects. The candidate will manage a detailed project plan complete with dependencies, owners, deadlines, and duration to review with the Product Development Manager and internal stakeholders. The successful candidate must possess the knowledge, experience, and confidence to engage and professionally interact with department managers and clients, while successfully driving project schedules. This individual will work closely with PD Coordinators to guarantee project is on track at every phase, and provide status on each project, including delays to cross functional teams involved for consistent communication. Candidate must be professional, and a personable leader committed to the overall objectives, and self-development within the company.

Key Responsibilities

Work closely with the sales team to ensure project briefs are filled out in full to assure clear communication of project scope and client requirement, including restrictions and budget constraints, and ensuring these are communicated to the business for a successful execution and great client experience.

Work closely with the costing team to ensure quotes are processed in a timely manner.

Work closely with the R&D team to ensure submissions are on track and on budget. Provide clear communication on redirects to successfully manage client expectations.

Work closely with purchasing and operations team to ensure on time delivery of raw materials and components for a successful pilot or first production run. Participate or lead kickoff, first fill, and post-production review meetings.

Work directly with Customer Service to successfully coordinate initial product runs.

Proactively communicate with stakeholders and executive management regarding project status, financial health, risks and mitigation of issues, and dependencies across projects

Identify potential roadblocks related to budgets, resources, and timelines, and work together with Director of Product Development and PD Coordinator for solutions.

Manage multiple projects and prioritize workload in accordance with business goals.

Contribute to the improvement of the PD team & Organizational Development function via updating deliverables, sharing knowledge, and enhancing tools and techniques.

Lead cross-functional teams through all phases of product development from initial concepts through product delivery to deliver finished goods on time and budget.

Contribute to a high performance/accountability-based culture among the product development teams.

Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years of experience in customer service, business development, or project management, preferably in manufacturing or packaging of cosmetics, personal care, food or pharmaceutical products.

Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to work independently, determine appropriate priorities, and complete projects accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of attention to detail, despite competing deadlines.

Proven ability to lead and manage multiple projects simultaneously through the entire development lifecycles.

Knowledgeable in Product Development and contract manufacturing processes and systems.

Possess a high level of confidence, integrity, and critical thinking skills, establishing credibility and decisiveness while balancing varying business considerations/priorities.

Ability to drive/influence people and processes without necessarily having direct authority.

Ability to interact effectively and with ease with various levels of employees both inside and outside the organization.

Ability to work independently and be comfortable making decisions based on limited information.

Strong computer skills, including an intermediate level proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Must be flexible to modify work hours due to company or customer priorities.

Must be able to work in person onsite.

The salary range for this role is $68,000 - $80,000 annually. Compensation is commensurate with level of knowledge, skills, and experience applicable to the position.

We want everyone to feel welcome, respected and we are committed to providing the best space, experience, and workplace for our teams - no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, veteran or disability status, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.