Project Manager II

At Yakima we believe in connecting you, your family, friends and all your favorite gear to your desired destination or activity through our mission of enhancing the journey and earning trust every day. The role of this highly visible position is to lead product development projects by following Yakima’s product development process to ensure stakeholder satisfaction is consistent with company strategy, commitments and goals. Additionally, this position will partner with the product development teams and other groups to ensure design requirements, quality requirements, profit objectives and timelines are met for each project. Other key aspects of this position contribute to achieving and sustaining the Yakima Strategic Business Plan and Initiatives, global competitive advantage, and profitable market growth strategy.

Here’s what you’ll be accountable for:

· Lead simultaneous global projects through the full project lifecycle in a results-driven environment

· Collaborate with teams to ensure projects are on schedule; new products meet cost and performance requirements

· Maintain & communicate project data & facts with integrity & accuracy

· Promote & support Project Management objectives as assigned

· Contribute to the improvement of the International Project Management team

· Contribute to the improvement of Yakima’s product development process

Some Specifics Include:

· Manage International project plans, milestones & stage gate checklists

· Lead team members to coordinate interdependent processes to achieve required outcomes

· Host weekly internal and external status meetings; promote a sense of urgency, commitment to excellence & teamwork to deliver milestones and product launches on time

· Identify & communicate schedule uncertainties & risks; facilitate collaborative mitigation strategies and contingency plans to stay on track

· Collaborate with cross-functional teams at Yakima to ensure each OEM customer program is on schedule, on cost, and meets customer expectations.

· Efficiently and competently manage problem resolution with the OEM customer, e.g. scope-creep, changed requirements, missed deadlines, etc.

· Develop timelines for potential projects with OEM customers.

· Track project progress, communicating status to sponsors & stakeholders; resolving and/or escalating project issues tactfully & timely to overcome schedule delays

· Record, maintain & publish relevant project information, statistics & metrics

· Quality & timely execution of assigned deliverables

· Improve International Project Management team & product development process

· Carry out other duties, responsibilities, and projects as may be assigned, in an effective manner

What you bring:

· 4+ years’ experience leading projects to completion with little oversight against aggressive timelines

· Demonstrated competency in using Project Management methods, techniques & tools; Project Management certification preferred

· Proven ability to professionally manage simultaneous projects and deadlines

· Track record of being results-oriented

· Demonstrated passion for excellence and continuous improvement

· Eagerness to help others succeed

· Ability to authentically promote corporate values, strategic objectives & missions internationally

· Ability to move things forward throughout all levels of an organization

· Capacity to earn & maintain trust across various international cultures & organizational matrices

· Appetite for learning and a growth mindset

· Aptitude to successfully lead international teams

· Excellent organizational skills, communication skills, analytical ability & attention to detail

· Ability to be flexible, accept new ideas and input positively, and be open to new work approaches and processes

· Associate’s degree from an accredited college/university

· Advanced PC Skills: Microsoft Office Suite; Outlook; PowerPoint, MS Project, Smartsheet

· Basic understanding of manufacturing processes, including but not limited to injection molding, vacuum forming, metal fabrication, die casting and extrusions a plus

· Written & Oral Skills: English mandatory, Mandarin Chinese a plus

Work Environment:

Work takes place in an office setting. This job may require working more than 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours a week. It requires the ability to sit, stand and work at a computer for extended periods of time and communicate effectively with a diverse audience in person, by phone and by computer. This position requires the ability to lift, push, and carry up to 20lbs. Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally via commercial carrier.

Yakima Products has a culture of honesty, respect and trust, and we are committed to providing an environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to their membership in any protected classification such as sex, race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions) genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran, disability (mental or physical), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other status protected under applicable local, state, or federal law. Yakima Products is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship including, but not limited to: recruitment, hiring, training, advancement and termination.

Yakima believes in doing the right thing, and is committed to enhancing our diversity, and demonstrating that commitment to our employees, customers and community. The Company promotes diversity by developing policies, programs and procedures that foster a work environment in which differences are respected and employees are treated fairly.