What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Manager I position at ZF Group?

Job description: About the team:

We are looking for a Project Manager in the Operations Department at our Gray Court location. The Project Manager is responsible for managing the project launch activities by ensuring successful progression of both internal and external customer milestones within product launch for specified transmission programs. This position is also responsible for building project teams and tracking project activities from industrialization phases through the successful launch of programs both within time and budgetary constraints, all while adhering to ZF company standards/policy and customer requirements, both internal and external.

Your responsibilities as a Project Manager:

Manage project management activities and pre-series builds to support internal and external customers and manage new equipment installations to support project management milestones and objectives.
Assist Program Manager with evaluation and resolution of customer issues related to product specifications, design optimization, and production.
Work with management to define the project class and scope of project and resources needed for project management activities; manage the launch of new parts lists and applications as needed
Serve as primary contact/liaison to customer; identify information/data and resources needed by customer and ensure timely transfer of such information to appropriate ZF department/team and the customer.
Prepare and present the status of projects at gate reviews to the customer and internal management (including corrective actions if necessary).
Work with ZF engineering teams (design, test, controls and resident) and global R&D, in addition to other departments such as purchasing, quality, and sales, in order to support business development, capacity, and continuity; manage and facilitate teams in a crisis mode with the current and/or future production issues.
Ensure implementation of planning phase for equipment installations in the plant related to pre-series and launch management projects in coordination with the manufacturing planning department in Germany.
Establish planning and corrective action procedures for ensuring minimal operation downtime and commercial impact for line stoppages or cycle times during pre-series events.
Facilitate/conduct project team meetings regularly in conjunction with core team, support staff, and managers, and discuss updates on assigned tasks and project targets and milestones.
Support change management processes regarding project launch timing and engineering change implications (i.e. quotations, validations, timing, communications to affected departments/groups, etc.).
Monitor, review, and ensure maintenance of New Parts Lists by product for all customer Bills of Material.
Compile and document all lessons learned from the project.
Perform other duties as assigned.

*Ability/willingness to travel both domestically and internationally (up to 25%)

Your profile as a Project Manager:

Bachelor’s Degree
4 years of progressive experience in a manufacturing environment
2 years of experience with project supervision in one or more of the following areas: industrialization, manufacturing engineering, manufacturing planning, and/or program/launch management
Experience with Bills of Material (BOM) structures, design change procedures, and technical facets of product development
Proficient with Microsoft Office (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, etc.)
In-depth knowledge of commonly use concepts, practices, and procedures within engineering
Experience with customer communication systems.
Extensive experience with engineering change systems (e.g., Axalant)