Job Description

The Blueprint (Role Profile)

Reporting to the Director of the Program Management Office and based in Apex, North Carolina, this position will lead new product development (NPD) project in support of the North American Hand Tool business. The successful candidate will lead and coordinate the efforts of cross functional team members, as well as Apex Tool Group’s global manufacturing and supply base, to deliver new innovative products with leadership features and superior product performance.

The Build (Responsibilities)

• Lead NPD project teams from concept to launch with a strong sense of urgency, utilizing established stage-gate process. This may include the facilitation of product ideation or brainstorming events.
• Responsible for managing mid-to-large scale and/or moderately complex cross-functional projects associated with development and introduction of various mechanical tools and/or related products.
• Collaborates with engineering, product management, industrial design, operations, supply chain, and finance teams both domestic and global, to identify and execute project milestones and deliverables.
• Develops and owns project plans identifying schedules, risks, and mitigation paths for NPD projects.
• Drives project deliverables, milestones and daily tasks with a strong sense of urgency.
• Lead weekly cross-functional project meetings (domestic/global time zones) as well as monthly executive report outs.
• Confers with project personnel to identify and resolve issues as they arise. While not accountable for the technical accuracy of design details, the project manager maintains enough functional awareness to recognize potential technical concerns and take appropriate steps to address them by initiating corrective actions or engaging subject matter experts.
• Prepares project status reports and facilitates both technical and non-technical reviews to keep management and other stakeholders informed of status and aware of any issues.
• Develops and maintains technical and project documentation, including NPD process deliverables.
• Compile and analyze financial inputs for project capital allocation requests, coordinating with cross‑functional teams to ensure complete, accurate, and timely submissions.
• Works collaboratively with other ATG global design centers, manufacturing plants and strategic suppliers as needed.
• Deliver products that meet established requirements and are completed on time, within budget, and to defined quality standards.

The Toolbox (Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in an engineering/technical discipline – business, marketing, or related disciplines also considered.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is required – active or attain within 6 months of hire .
• 3+ years leading cross-functional project teams.
• 3+ years of mechanical product experience in a high-volume production, product development environment.
• Strong financial acumen, proven ability to develop and manage project budgets.
• Highly detail‑oriented, organized, and agile within complex organizational environments.
• Knowledge of an NPD stage-gate/tollgate product development process.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as strong presentation skills.
• Organizationally savvy, able to build effective internal relationships and influence without formal authority.
• Ability to use MS Suite and scheduling/PPM software (MS Project, Smartsheet, Wrike, Asana, etc.) – SAP and Smartsheet experience a plus.
• Ability to work additional, off-site hours as needed to support global new product development process.

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