Project Lead

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION Oversees the creation of comprehensive project plans, maintaining related documentation, timeline management, milestone tracking, and report generation and dissemination. Partners directly with the R-D and Sales (private label sales teams) - Marketing teams to ensure all projects are delivered in scope and on time. Provides oversight and guidance for the complete Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) project portfolio. ESSENTIAL POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES - Coordinate Projects and New Product Development (NPD) Activities: Works with project leads in maintaining an accurate and timely project portfolio. Ensures that proposed timelines align with known performance history. Supports project timelines with continuous follow up and communication, ensuring alignment with customer commitment. - Manages Reports: Assembles data and reports for monthly Product and Business Review meetings supporting the Sales - Operations initiatives. Keeps abreast of all active projects and associated milestones and aligns those with both current and future projects. Works with the Marketing, Sales and Finance teams to capture project costs and forecasted product sales and revenue. Works with R-D on project resource allocation. - Conducts Project Updates: Hosts various project meetings including Project Kick-Offs and Leadership Deep-Dives. Responsible for weekly status updates of new projects for approval, ensuring all information within the project proposal is complete. Gathers and communicates project status reports, timeline performance, formula status reports to the business and project teams. Coordinates agenda and action items for weekly Leadership Deep Dive meeting with appropriate follow up. - NPD Integrity and Process Improvement: Works with account teams, including Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, and R-D departments, to track the progress of product development projects. Works closely with the Marketing team to recommend new activities and project template enhancements. Serves as NPD gatekeeper to ensure that the right activities are completed for each stage and the teams are not working ahead in stages. Works closely with Project Leads to facilitate Innovation Sales Pipeline (ISP) projects into the NPD system. Works closely with the PLM Administrator and Marketing team to recommend changes to the PLM/IQS System based on business process and user feedback. - Participates as a member of the Team. Participates in the ongoing development, communication and implementation of team concepts, programs and policies; coordinates work to ensure best practices with all team members. Attends appropriate team meetings. As a member of the Team, fosters strong cohesiveness regarding all major issues; e.g., direction, annual plan, budget, policy changes, etc. Accepts responsibility to quickly identify any areas that lack cohesiveness, bringing them to the attention of the team leader and working with the team in a supportive manner to resolve issues and actively look for ways, and reinforce actions needed, to achieve synergy possible within the larger organization. - Simmons Operating systems principles and objectives: Is familiar with Simmons' established operating systems (e.g. quality, security, office environment, company policies, LEAN); understands the responsibility to maintain familiarity with the systems and this position's role in support of these systems - including a consideration of the impact of individual actions on the systems and the responsibility to communicate concerns and improvement ideas. - Performs other duties as necessary in support of business objectives: This position description is intended to guide the activities of the person in this position and is not intended to limit the thinking and creativity of the person as to the work of this function nor is it intended that this describe all the work that may be required of the person in this position. Physical Activities: Enters and locates information on a computer. Visually verifies information, often in small print. Communicates with Customers, Vendors, or Employees via telephone, in person, and/or electronic mail. May present information to small or large groups. Move about in an office environment and surrounding property. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): As required by visiting facility. Travel: Occasional travel within North America to and from multiple facilities. Technical Experience: 2+ years' experience in project coordination or business analyst role with an R-D or Market function preferred. Excellent computer skills with respect to the Microsoft Office Suite - intermediate to advanced level skills in Excel and PowerPoint as well as experience preparing documents for presentation. Able to quickly learn the company's applicable software suites. Experience: Preference for food processing organization. Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in a related field, or 4 years related experience. Preference for a focus in Business Processes or Project Management.