Project Manager
Northridge, CA

Job Description

Additional Work Location(s) :

Position Summary:

Do you want to be part of setting up a brand new Project Management role within a leading electronics manufacturer? Do you want to take part in a truly international and thriving business environment? Then this might be something for you!

Harman is looking for a skilled Project Manager who can run projects in one of our largest development locations. We have recently defined a new stage-gate model which serves the purpose of structuring and managing our new product development programs.

Your job will be to manage new product development programs and ensure all projects are executed according to agreed metrics and processes. You will be an integral part of executing the roadmap for the future of the business and you are expected to provide strong leadership in managing interrelated projects and programs to ensure successful delivery. Strong project management and excellent organizational skills are fundamental, as is the ability to liaise with people at all levels of the organization. We expect excellent verbal and written communication abilities since you will be communicating between many layers in the company.

Supervisory Responsibilities: You will be part of a 4-5 man team where at least one of them is located abroad. Your manager will be located in China and you will not have any direct reports.

WHAT YOU'LL BE DOING:

* Planning and executing projects in accordance with the defined stage-gate model
* A hands-on, collaborative approach to managing a project. Be a visible and active part of the team.
* Develop Gantt schedules using MS Project. Includes development of a WBS, resource allocations, costs, critical path generation, and project tracking.
* Prepare project development budgets including prototypes, samples, outside services, etc. Includes capital plans and Capital Authorization Requests.
* Develop control systems to monitor project progress and develop corrective actions to keep projects on track. Employ negotiating skills to resolve intra and inter-team conflicts.
* Develop a responsibility matrix and team charter for communicating program requirements to all team members. Chair team meetings on an on-going basis to obtain project feedback.
* Coordination and follow up on agreed activities within each project
* Ongoing risk management evaluating the risk and taking the necessary actions
* Updating budget with cost, used time and resources with support from the project controller
* Securing the right documentation for gate passages
* Reporting to the PMO and presenting to management steering committee meetings
* Develop and maintain project performance metrics including the publishing of reports and corrective action summaries
* Most importantly - Be a team player!

WHAT YOU NEED:

* Bachelor's degree and PMP certification.
* Minimum of 5 years of project management experience.
* Agile environment experience.
* Expert level in MS Project, Excel and Powerpoint
* Proven experience in working with or for a professional PMO setup within the area of new product development or technology development.
* Excellent influencing skills
* Solid time management skills, focused on results and driven to meet schedules
* Analytical and pro-active decision making.
* Excellent communication skills.
* Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
* Excellent organizational, leadership, human relations skills.
* Self-motivated and capable of working independently with minimal supervision.
* Experience working with a scrum driven Agile development team is desired
* Fluent in English speech and writing.
* Comfortable with fast-paced and multitasking environment.

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