Manufacturing Project Manager

OVERVIEW
We are partnered with a fast-growing manufacturing startup producing advanced materials for Commercial, Industrial, Aerospace, and Defense applications. Through their proprietary technologies, they have significantly increased the lifespan, tolerance, and effectiveness of materials used in high-stress environments. Their team values entrepreneurship, curiosity, and above all, integrity and commitment to their clients and the well-being of their team. With their recent accomplishments, this company is positioned to see significant growth in the coming years, and they are looking for an experienced Manufacturing Project Manager who shares their values to support their growth.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Manufacturing Project Manager will maintain ownership of multiple Manufacturing Projects to see them through service delivery completion. This role will maintain a heavy client-facing presence to understand and translate their technical requirements into actionable Manufacturing Operations processes. They will collaborate closely with the Head of Manufacturing Operations, Design Engineers, and C-Suite leaders to ensure quality standards and cost-effective and timely service delivery are accomplished. Further, this role will have a seat at the table to help shape the strategic direction of Manufacturing Operations and Service Delivery processes to meet growing demands.
The ideal candidate should have a strong Manufacturing Operations or Industrial Engineering background with demonstrated experience managing multiple Capital Projects, with Project Management experience within Materials, Metals, Aerospace, Defense, or MedTech Equipment manufacturing. This will be an excellent opportunity for a candidate who enjoys building processes, thrives in a fast-paced startup environment, and wants to have a seat at the table to grow a manufacturing business.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Management & Client Requirements & Service Delivery
Serve as the primary client contact, translating technical requirements, operational challenges, and business objectives into clearly defined project scopes, engineering work plans, deliverables, schedules, and performance objectives.
Develop and manage project schedules, staffing plans, budgets, milestones, and resource requirements across multiple concurrent engagements.
Manage a portfolio of up to 10–15 concurrent client projects, spanning low-volume, high-mix and high-volume, low-mix manufacturing environments, including additive manufacturing and product manufacturing.
Manage projects from initial requirements definition through delivery, ensuring quality, schedule, scope, and contractual commitments are met.
Identify project risks, scope changes, resource constraints, and delivery challenges; develop mitigation plans and lead issue resolution and escalation as required.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with Design Engineering and Manufacturing Operations to ensure designs are manufacturable, production requirements are understood, and engineering changes are effectively incorporated into manufacturing processes.
Lead efforts to resolve production challenges, improve manufacturability, and support production readiness across diverse manufacturing environments.
Coordinate the development and implementation of manufacturing processes, production systems, tooling, equipment, and process improvements.
Align technical resources and engineering priorities with client requirements and project objectives.
Partner with Finance and C-Suite leadership to develop project budgets, monitor labor utilization, costs, forecasts, profitability, and overall financial performance.
Support change-order management, scope assessments, and client discussions on services, costs, and deliverables.
Ensure project execution aligns with industry standards, client quality requirements, and organizational procedures.
Oversee vendor and contractor management within their project scope.
Strategic Direction & Process Improvement Optimization
Collaborate with the Leadership Team and contribute to the strategic planning of facility expansion and staff growth.
Support various continuous process improvement and optimization initiatives within Manufacturing Operations.
Support the transition into a Lean Manufacturing environment and certification requirements (e.g., AS/ISO 9001).
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum 5+ years of soup-to-nuts Manufacturing Project Management experience – Must have a strong understanding of Manufacturing Operations.
Demonstrated experience translating client-side technical requirements into manufacturing processes.
Experience with various Manufacturing or Enterprise Resource Planning software (MRP/ERP) and CAD tools.
Data-driven approach to operational decision-making within manufacturing.
Entrepreneurial and Business Development mindset – Ability to translate technical requirements and capabilities within manufacturing into business opportunities.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to work from the production floor through the C-Suite.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE & CERTIFICATIONS
Degree OR experience in Materials Science / Metallurgy OR Materials / Metals Manufacturing is a major plus.
Strong experience in Aerospace, Defense, Robotics/Automation, or MedTech Equipment manufacturing is a major plus.
Six Sigma Green Belt / Lean Manufacturing experience.
AS9001 Certification & Internal Audit experience.

Work arrangement
Yes