About Us
At KMT Waterjet, a Shape Technologies Group (SHAPE) company, we deliver innovative manufacturing process solutions that power the world’s leading manufacturers. Our team is built on precision, trust, and technical excellence-driven to exceed expectations.
Why Join Us
Benefits
We offer more than a job—we offer a career. You'll receive hands-on training, advancement opportunities, and a comprehensive benefits package including:✔ Competitive salary✔ Medical, dental, and vision insurance✔ 401(k) with company match✔ Paid time off & paid disability/life insurance✔ Tuition reimbursement✔ A chance to be part of cutting-edge industrial technology
SUMMARY
The Program Manager is focused on supporting business growth through product and business process innovations, as well as the advancement of Project Management standards. This focus is particularly directed towards Product Commercialization and Business Transformation, aiming for the establishment of an integrated Product Portfolio-Program-Project organization. The PMO staff provides support and oversight for various project initiatives, New Product Development and Launch Projects, New Business Integration (M&A) Projects, and Business Process Improvement Projects.As a member of the KMT Group Product staff, you will oversee project management and monitor interdependencies of multiple projects comprising a program undertaken to achieve strategic objectives and chartered by senior leadership.
You will collaborate with the program sponsors, project engineers and managers, product owners, and business area leaders from various globally distributed regions and ensure that projects’ outputs meet requirements and programs’ outcomes deliver expected benefits.At the onset, the anticipated workload split is 70% project management of new product development projects and sustaining projects, and 30% product management, including the establishment of new programs and areas of business.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
include but are not limited to the following:
Program Management
- Partner with business leaders, product, and business process owners to establish a program vision and set up governance for the effective oversight and management of cross-functional resources.
- For each assigned business case, develop and obtain approval for a program charter outlining component projects and budgets, required program resources, and overall program timeline.
- Plan and manage program execution, ensuring that the program benefits and outcomes are well understood by project teams and program business objectives are met.
- Identify and apply appropriate metrics, deliverables with checklists, processes, and KPIs to effectively communicate expectations and track program success across multiple project teams.
- Actively identify and mitigate program risks; exploit arising opportunities. Address issues in a timely manner with project leaders, stakeholders, and sponsors, seeking alignment for proposed solutions.
- Plan and organize program communications, attend project teams meetings, generate program progress reports, and assemble lessons learned for sponsors, management, and stakeholders.
- Foster strong relationships with all program stakeholders to obtain buy-in, progressive approvals, and sustained collaboration, ensuring successful implementation of the program benefits.
- Continuously identify, monitor, and coordinate the interdependencies among assigned projects, programs related to products, and other important strategic initiatives across an organization.
Project Management
- Work with assigned project managers or technical leaders to align project expectations and specific deliverables, outlining interdependencies with other project work within the program.
- Support and work closely with project managers or technical leaders in the development of project scope of deliverables (Statement of Work), required resources plan (Work Breakdown Structure), project budget (Project Cost Baseline for Labor, Materials, and Expenses), and timing (Project Schedule).
- Work with project managers or technical leaders and provide the necessary support and consistent structure for project integration into the program and with the Global PMO’s cost and schedule control reporting systems.
- Work with project managers or technical leaders on proposed project changes and assist in the evaluation of implications on the program's goals and objectives, and change approval by the sponsor.
- Work with project managers or technical leaders to identify project risks and opportunities. Promote and support project risk mitigation activities to overcome project threats negatively impacting the overall program while also helping to explore and exploit positive opportunities.
- Work with project managers or technical leaders to obtain project status and updates for program evaluation and report unification for the sponsor, project team, stakeholders, and executive reviews.
Product and Business Process Management
- Understand product roadmaps as presented by the product owners or program sponsor and translate into specific product features and release timing requirements (Market Requirements).
- Facilitate strategic alignment continuity by maintaining closed feedback loops with product owners or process owners (product stage gate reviews, business process gap and transformation reviews).
- Actively collaborate with teams and leadership across the organization to maximize the use of project resources (productivity) and benefits realization from program outcomes (innovations).
Global PMO
- Promote and propagate project management standards and act as a Project Management subject-matter expert, providing guidance to project owners and contributors within the organization.
- Provide an appropriate level of leadership to project teams in the application of project management methodology for successful integration with the Global PMO and local development of PM systems.
- Demonstrate flexibility in thinking; adapt to and manage organizational change by adjusting strategies, goals, and priorities, fostering innovations and good business sense.
Other
- Program reporting lines to Local Project Managers, Project Leaders, and Functional Managers.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of this position.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
This position has no supervisory responsibilities.
TRAVEL
Travel is estimated at 25-50%.
LOCATION
Hybrid. Primary Office location TBD, but within commuting distance of a KMT Group facility (Baxter Springs, KS; Tumwater, WA; Houston, TX; Kent, WA)
Qualifications
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES
:
- Excellent and experienced communicator/negotiator at all levels of organization.
- Business acumen with strong strategic orientation and pragmatic decision-making skills
- Well organized with a positive approach to the Company’s and Project Management Institute standards
- Personable, people, and team builder with a strong process and goal orientation
- Effective problem-solver and navigator of diverse, cross-functional products and project teams
- Relentless drive for continuous improvement and cost/effort savings initiatives.
- Hands-on approach to problem solving with “find the root cause” and “dig deep” analysis attitude
- Practices rigorous objectivity; fosters balanced optimism in the face of adverse and changing conditions
- Seeker of technical and commercial insights
- An analytical, critical thinker proficient in MS Excel
- Good working knowledge of MS Project, ASANA, and/or other Project Management software
- Excellent documentation maintenance skills
- Knowledge of waterjet, laser, and material processing technologies or automation is a plus
- Exceptional customer service skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
:
- Bachelor's Degree in Applied Engineering, Project Management, or Business is a must. Professional training in Project Management is a strong asset.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience working as a Project Manager with full accountability for on-time / on-budget delivery in automation, machine building, or OEM industry.
- Minimum of 3 years' experience working as a Program Manager or overseeing a portfolio of projects.
- Minimum of 5 years' experience working in cross-functional organizations, with a hardware product development and/or R&D experience is a must.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS
:
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and/or Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Program Management Professional (PgMP) preferred.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, talk or hear, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, reach with hands and arms.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus. When in a manufacturing setting, you may be exposed to louder noise levels, dust, etc.
