Senior Project Manager

Want to apply your years of earned expertise in a meaningful way, developing new solutions in a fun, collaborative environment? Are you looking to join a fast-growing, stable company with highly unique products and a supportive company culture?

SawStop is the world leader in power tool safety, and we're looking for an experienced Project Manager to join our team. Headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon, SawStop is the #1 manufacturer of table saws for the commercial and hobbyist markets, and our safety technology has saved thousands of users from devastating, life-changing table saw injuries. Founded in Oregon, SawStop is part of the TTS Group, a 2,500+ employee family-owned company based in Germany with a focus on long-term growth.

SawStop is looking to expand the application of our technologies into new products and markets. The successful applicant will lead cross-functional development teams in an open and creative work environment where invention and dedication are both recognized and rewarded.

Primary Function

The Senior Project Manager is responsible for driving successful delivery of complex cross-departmental projects; balancing cost, schedule, and performance objectives according to roadmap priorities. Close collaboration with Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, Sales, Service, Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, Operations, and our contract manufacturers is required. The Senior Project Manager will primarily lead NPD projects from project kickoff through product launch and project close, and thus will frequently represent the status and needs of these initiatives to an executive audience.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Project Planning
• Work closely with team members to determine the detailed development scope based on business objectives and detailed product requirements
• Based on established project scope and available resources, document functional work plans and dependencies with input from team members and managers, as appropriate
• Develop and maintain a project schedule that the project team can commit to delivering and the stakeholders can commit to support. Clearly and continuously communicate plan assumptions and risks to stakeholders
• Project Execution
• Single-point accountability for strategic project success; true pivot / center locus for project communication
• Coordinate project team activities to ensure deliverables are on time, at cost, within budget, and meet expected quality and performance targets
• Track project team progress to plan and work with team proactively to identify and implement mitigations
• Coordinate and track relevant activities owned by contract manufacturer(s)
• Anticipate project team deliverables in all phases, and clearly understand the philosophies of the various NPD phases
• Communicate the maturity level and technical risks of the design and solicit additional subject matter expert feedback when needed
• Regularly solicit feedback from project team members, their functional managers, and stakeholders to understand their needs
• Proactively identify and eliminate barriers to the project team's progress to committed plan
• Continuously identify, assess, and update the project issues and risks, effectively evaluate and prioritize mitigation plans
• Coordinate preparation for all project builds through initial production lot
• Lead project risk management analyses and planning meetings
• Assess, communicate, and align the organization on changes to project scope and schedule as product requirements change
• Project Financials
• Prepare project expense & tooling budgets
• Monitor and track project expenses
• Monitor and track project tooling spend versus budget
  
  

• Project Reporting & Communication
• Schedule, create agendas, facilitate, and document regular project meetings
• Initiate on-demand topical discussions with key stakeholders to escalate team needs as barriers to progress emerge
• Clearly and effectively share overall project status, risks, issues, mitigations, and any breaking needs to leadership and executive team as appropriate
• Measure project performance against KPIs (key performance indicators) that roll up to the enterprise balanced scorecard
• Facilitate effective meetings and actively drive effective decision-making
• Prepare and collect documentation from functional team members to satisfy NPD gate requirements
• Responsible for all communication with NPD project contract manufacturer(s), other than that which is within the domain of Supply Chain: price, contract terms, and associated negotiations
• Responsible for all regular communication of project health, status, and needs with executive team. Note: Product requirements, the roadmap, portfolio and individual product P&L, launch plan and associate communications are the responsibility of the relevant Product Manager
• Administrative
• Owner of the SawStop NPD Phase gate process - collaborate with departmental stakeholders to update and improve the process based on project lessons learned
• Provide periodic training on the process and create/update training materials and quick-start guides for new hires
• Continuously evaluate the state of the art of Project Management tools, and provide recommendations on and ultimately implement changes to project and issue-tracking tools and software to improve project outcomes and leadership confidence in the discipline
• Schedule, coordinate, and chair regular project status reviews with stakeholder and leadership team
• Develop and publish regular project dashboards for leadership awareness
  
  

• Miscellaneous
• Provide mentorship and guidance to SawStop Project Managers and Project Coordinators
• Takes an ownership role in SawStop's relationship with our CMs from a optimizing communication perspective. Utilize different approaches and structures with different CM's according to their capabilities and willingness, in pursuit of the best business outcomes for SawStop
• Provide timely and constructive performance feedback to functional managers about their direct reports
• Some international travel is required, especially to support development builds
  

Required Qualifications

• Experience managing projects of comparable size and complexity (including electrical, software, and mechanical system integration with overseas production)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the company
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and make decisions under pressure
• Ability to switch focus between task specifics and the overall project outlook and health
• As a technically-oriented leader, able to autonomously identify and escalate project risks and issues as the first line of defense against challenges to project cost, schedule, and performance
• Working understanding of product requirements and agency certification process
• Proficiency with project management software, such as Microsoft Project, Planisware, Smartsheet, or LiquidPlanner, including dynamic resource balancing
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint)
• Ability to assemble and monitor project budgets
• Self-starter, internally motivated
• Proactive, inquisitive, problem-solving nature
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ yr experience managing complex, consumer goods product development projects
• Prior development experience with consumer, industrial, or aerospace products
• Sound understanding of financial/accounting fundamentals
• Studies in Project Management and/or Project Management certification
• Inspiring and motivational leader
• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or equivalent
• Experience working with offshore suppliers, especially Asia
• Familiar with interpreting various forms of engineering documentation
• Proven ability to solve problems creatively
  
  

Company Profile

SawStop is the world leader in power tool safety.

Headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon we design, engineer, and manufacture innovative power tools and accessories for the commercial and hobbyist woodworking markets. All SawStop power tools feature our patented safety technology that has saved tens of thousands of users from devastating, life-changing table saw injuries.

Our commitment to quality, innovation and safety over the past 20 years has made us the best in the industry. And our future looks just as bright as we accelerate our investments in new advancements in woodworking safety and performance. Redoubling our focus on product innovation and best-in-class quality to expand our product line and reach new markets means that we are growing fast and looking to expand and strengthen our dynamic team.

Learn more about why SawStop is a great place to work.

Benefits

Our Team Members are what make SawStop special. That's why we're committed to taking care of our team through a comprehensive benefits program.

• Employee-Centered Medical Plan - 95% paid for the employee and eligible dependents
• Available Health Savings Plan
• 100% Paid Dental
• 100% Paid Vision
• Hybrid Work Schedule (Role-Dependent)
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program for Mental Health Services
• 401k Retirement Plans with Company Match
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• Tutoring Support for Team Member's Kids (Grades K-12)
• Competitive Compensation Package
• Opportunities for Professional Development
  
  

Please include cover letter and updated resume when applying.

Salary: $130000 - $175000 per year