Senior Project Specialist

Summary

The Senior Project Specialist leads strategic cross-functional initiatives and establishes standardized project management practices across the organization. This role drives operational excellence by implementing project governance, portfolio management processes, reporting systems, and continuous improvement methodologies that support organizational objectives.

The Senior Project Specialist partners with executive leadership and functional teams to ensure projects are executed efficiently, resources are aligned, risks are proactively managed, and strategic initiatives are successfully completed. This position also strengthens organizational capability by coaching team members, developing project management standards, and promoting best practices throughout the organization.

Leadership and Guidance include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Operational Excellence: Lead strategic operational improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity improvements.
• Launch Support: Support customer launches, major production transfers, and capital investment projects.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive strategic initiatives utilizing the Toyota Production System (TPS), Kaizen principles, and continuous improvement methodologies.
  
  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized project management methodologies, governance processes, templates, documentation standards, and reporting tools aligned with organizational objectives.
• Lead complex cross-functional projects from initiation through completion by defining scope, objectives, timelines, resource requirements, success criteria, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Monitor project performance, deliverables, timelines, risks, and outcomes while promoting accountability across project teams.
• Implement and maintain project management software and standardized tools, including project charters, schedules, status reports, dashboards, and communication templates.
• Provide project management training, coaching, and mentoring to functional leaders and project teams while promoting a culture of accountability, structured execution, and continuous improvement.
  
  

Core and Leadership Competencies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Strategic thinking and organizational leadership
• Project portfolio management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strong communication and stakeholder management
• Risk management and problem solving
• Process development and continuous improvement
• Organizational change management
• Data-driven decision making
  
  

Qualifications

• Strategic thinking and organizational leadership
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field required.
• Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• Seven to ten years of progressive project management experience required.
• Experience leading enterprise-level or cross-functional projects required.
• Experience establishing or leading a Project Management Office (PMO) or project management team strongly preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent preferred.
  
  

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals/documentation. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Desire to proactively and collaboratively work toward solutions with cross-functional team input.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Indiana Automotive Fasteners is a team environment. We operate with mission-driven integrity. Our mission of “Ensuring your family’s SAFETY through our team’s QUALITY” is at the heart of all our decisions and actions. We exemplify ethical practices, professionalism, and personal integrity, creating respectful and trusting collaborative work environments where sound advice is valued. We contribute to the IAF team by living the core values of T.E.A.M.W.O.R.K.

• We are Trustworthy. We do the right things right every time. We do our jobs with honest effort every time, every day. We follow all Safety, Quality, and Work Policies.
• We are Engaged. We are eager and enthusiastic to help our team succeed. We persistently pursue excellence every day. We work together to continuously improve.
• We are Accountable. We are responsible for every product and process we touch. Our choices and actions matter because our work matters. We produce Excellent Quality fasteners. Our work is a critical component to critical features on vehicles. It is our responsibility to follow our Quality-controlled procedures to ensure the Safety of our products.
• We are Motivated. Our work drives us. We can achieve, and we will achieve. We care about what we do.
• We are Welcoming. We encourage everyone’s best. We greet everyone with a friendly smile. We care about each other.
• We are Open-minded. We ask. We listen. We consider. We are curious about new possibilities. We are not content with the status quo, and we believe that our diverse backgrounds are what makes us stronger, so we listen to learn from each other.
• We are Respectful. We listen to understand. We help each other. We believe every team member matters and deserves respect.
• We are Knowledge-seeking. We Genchi Genbutsu: Go, Look, See. We keep learning, we keep growing. We strive to understand, so we investigate problems to learn from our mistakes. We train and develop our team so that we continue to grow and improve.
  
  

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.