Director - Project Management - West Coast

KDC is a network of best-in-class custom formulators and manufacturers of color cosmetics, skincare, haircare, bath & body, fragrance, deodorant, home, health, industrial, and auto care products. KDC delivers high-touch innovation, operational excellence, and speed to market to well-known and emerging beauty, personal, and specialty companies from coast to coast. KDC has its head office in Longueuil, Québec. In addition, KDC has 10 operating facilities located throughout North America. Altogether, the company employs nearly 4,800 talented and dedicated employees in North America.

Summary:

The Regional Project Management Director coordinates and tracks primary customer related projects (existing or new), including creation and review of customer quotes, verification of ability to manufacture, preparation for first production, tracking of internal preparedness for customer launch success, and executive awareness of project status to maintain a high level of product recognition & communication for organizational reporting.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversees customer projects across multiple regional sites to ensure projects are handled in a consistent manner from start to finish at all sites.
• Coordinates and supports the tracking of new projects for customers, working with each site’s Engineering, Quality, Production and Customer Support departments.
• Establish and monitor customer Best Practices in New Project Implementation, to include:
• Creating and establishing a process on how Project Managers work with Engineering teams to assure the highest degree of awareness and complicity in all new projects (e.g. process to validate access to formulas, drawings, and all relevant customer documentation for set up and costing purposes).
• Streamlining how sites identify equipment needs, cap ex requirements and challenges for all new projects including completing and tracking Tooling Authorizations and other customer responsible costs
• Developing a process to handle the receipt and automated distribution of customer material information in the form of specifications, protocols, product bills of materials, etc.
• Oversees the creation of like documents in internal systems and a formalized process to review customer documentation for accuracy, errors, and potential issues to production as well as to provide feedback on missing information to the customer, and request error correction.
• Works with center-led Project Management team to establish a network approach to quotes for all trials, pilots, and validations per KDC assigned fees and a format to provide to the customer for approval.
• Tracks all network customer visits for the purposes of testing, piloting, and First Production viewing; ensures that personnel can support planned visits and supports sites for New Product and new site startups, etc.
• Work as a resource with all NPI Project teams to offer expertise and assistance as appropriate on launches and new production; provides day-to-day support at the site level when appropriate.
• Coordinates with Client Services teams on progress for any open Projects to assure Exec Management is aware of any projects at risk.
• Trains, coaches and develops employees within the team to ensure performance expectations and department objectives are met according to established standards; manages performance expectations and delivers feedback.
• Completes employee performance reviews, preliminary budgetary information, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Work Instructions (WIs), reports and other paperwork according to established company policy.
• Maintains confidentiality of employee personnel records and salary information, customer and pricing data, other sensitive and confidential information.
• Exhibits regular and predictable attendance and works outside the normal schedule as needed to meet workplace demands. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business management or related field is strongly preferred; in lieu of a degree, equivalent work experience is required.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management
• Experience acquired in directly related sectors (FMCG, consumer packaged goods sector), or other sectors with similar characteristics. Direct experience in contract manufacturing is strongly preferred along a proven track record of developing strong relationships with customers.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of: project planning, Outlook Calendars, Excel and Word; FDA and GMP requirements.
• Skill in: developing project plans, refining scope, driving and leading a team in planning and requirement phases; working with a high level of professionalism and confidentiality; managing large scale, cross-functional projects; developing and delivering training materials.
• Ability to: communicate effectively and work with variety of internal and external customers and develop strong working relationships; work independently and as part of a team; work efficiently with a strong sense of urgency; demonstrate effectiveness with large scale, cross-functional projects; prioritize multiple and competing priorities; be detail oriented; train other employees; make decisions quickly and confidently; operate a computer.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands:

• Must be able to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds manually.
• A climate-controlled office environment; the noise level is usually moderately quiet
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time in front of a computer, stand, walk, use hands to handle and feel, reach with hands or arms, stoop, crouch, talk, hear, push and pull.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Must be able to manage a staff of 5-8 Project Managers across multiple sites.

KDC-ONE is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. I understand that employment with KDC-ONE Company is at-will, meaning that I or KDC-ONE Company may terminate my employment at any time, or for any reason consistent with applicable state or federal law. I understand that KDC-One requires the successful completion of a drug and/or alcohol test as a condition of employment.