PROJECT MANAGER (New Product Development)

Daniel Defense - Black Creek, GA

Full-time - Mid Level

Black Creek, GA

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

About the position

At Daniel Defense, we pride ourselves on building the best firearms systems and accessories in the industry. We are a faith-based organization dedicated to providing top-quality small arms solutions to military, law enforcement, and civilian markets. We are currently seeking a skilled Project Manager specializing in New Product Development to join our dynamic team. This role is crucial in driving innovation and overseeing the development of new products from concept through commercialization. As a Technical Project Manager, you will lead cross-functional teams to ensure projects adhere to stage-gate processes, delivering high-quality products that meet market demands. In this position, you will be responsible for demonstrating commitment to and leadership of environmental health and safety principles, policies, and procedures. You will manage both internal and external resources to establish and achieve project specifications and goals, ensuring that projects are completed on time, on specification, and on cost. Establishing and maintaining key stakeholder alignment on project goals and product objectives will be essential. You will assist product development teams in introducing new products for release and major updates to existing products, creating and tracking effective risk management and mitigation plans. Your responsibilities will also include leading scope and requirements management, developing and tracking comprehensive plans, and communicating status to all levels of the organization. You will track and maintain project budgets and product cost estimates, create and track key performance indicators, and maintain oversight of robust processes and controls to ensure compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and standards. Fostering a collaborative and innovative environment within an integrated product team (IPT) will be key, as will establishing and maintaining relationships with outside vendors. You will be expected to contribute to the company standards on integrity, safety, and a positive work environment, while providing adequate support, training, and development to team members to continuously improve safety, quality, delivery, and productivity.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate commitment to and leadership of environmental health and safety principles, policies, and procedures.
• Manage internal and external resources to establish and achieve project specifications/goals (On-Time, On-Spec, and On-Cost).
• Establish and maintain key stakeholder alignment on project goals and product objectives.
• Assist product development teams responsible for introducing new products for release as well as major updates to existing products.
• Create and track effective risk management and mitigation plans.
• Lead scope and requirements management, including appropriate tradeoff analysis.
• Develop and track comprehensive plans and communicate status to all levels of the organization.
• Track and maintain project budget and product cost estimates.
• Create and track key performance indicators.
• Maintain oversight of robust processes and controls to ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations and standards.
• Foster a collaborative and innovative environment within an integrated product team (IPT), promoting continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Establish and maintain relationships with outside vendors (Project timeline, cost, etc.) - travel required.
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation.
• Maintain clear understanding of market trends and assist engineering, sales, and marketing in identifying new project opportunities.
• Provide adequate support, training, and development to team members to continuously improve Safety, 6S, Quality, Delivery, and Productivity.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Statistics, Project Management, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
• Previous Technical, Manufacturing and/or Design Project Management experience, specifically in new product development.
• In-depth understanding and practical experience with stage-gate processes and methodologies.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrate understanding of product requirements management.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in project management tools and software (MS Project, Trello, SolidWorks Manage, Monday, Smartsheet).
• Effective communication skills with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, including internal teams, external partners, influencers, and customers.
• Ability to effectively hold team accountable to timelines, quality, and budgets of assigned project.
• Must be able to directly interface with functional leaders and senior leadership to align project and resource priorities.
• Demonstrated understanding of project schedule development to establish and manage project timelines effectively.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent is preferred.
• Firearms enthusiast with a passion for innovation and advancing technologies in the industry.
• Negotiating Skills.
• Conflict Management and resolution skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with firearms or a passion for the firearms industry.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance bonuses.
• Health insurance coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
• Paid time off and holidays.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Support for continuing education and certifications.