Job Abstract

Quality, efficiency, and safety all play a big role in our work at Danone. Manufacturing the best products and supplying them to meet demand is a key driver for the Supply Chain team. We are currently looking to hire a Project Manager based in Broomfield, CO or White Plains, NY!

Summary:

Driving and managing innovation/renovation, productivity, capacity and sourcing, graphics, business continuity, and legal projects, while assuring product superiority and business alignment are critical for Danone North America achieving its year over year goals.  Projects are large in scope, covering multiple brands, plants, formats and products. The candidate will work with cross functional teams and business partners to ensure that projects are successfully executed and delivered on time and within budget.

The base compensation range for this position is $85,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.

The individual in this role will:

• Create timelines and actions plans to; Be accountable for project timelines, financials, action plans and risks of the projects.
• Create reports and presentations to; Organize, report and communicate the status of the project to all levels of the company.
• Manage cross-functional teams and ensuring that the project teams have sufficient skills and experience to meet the objectives in a complex environment (high number of projects interacting together)
• Be autonomous in managing decisions and be accountable for timely project delivery.
• Proactive stakeholder management: Interact with many organizations (i.e. Planning, Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, Quality and Finance, R&I)
• Identify and propose best practices and improvement to the project management process.

Responsibilities:

• This individual will manage projects to support the growth of the Business Unit and the overall Danone North America growth objectives. The number of projects and types of projects to manage will depend on the size and complexity of each project in addition to the business needs.
• For each of these projects the Project Manager is accountable for all the activities, through their team, to meet the deliverables of the project (product characteristics, cost, savings, time of launch, quality, delivery to the customers, etc.). 
• For each project the Project Manager will develop and propose a timeline that executes the project brief in the most efficient way as well as meeting the business need. The proposed solution will include the team members needed, a detailed timeline with critical path and a risk analysis, a detailed financial analysis, and presentations for each stage gate. The steps to achieve this will be based on the GOOSE (Stage Gate) methodology for project management.
• The Project Manager, with their cross functional team, must be proactive in identifying issues and/or risks and escalating them to the appropriate level when required. The portfolio of projects to manage will be determined by management.
• The Project Manager is the representative of the team for their projects.  As such, they will be accountable for all areas of the project (time, cost, saving, etc.) including communicating updates to the business and going all the way to timely delivery of the project.

Education and Experience (Requirements):

• Four-year undergraduate degree in engineering, business or other relevant discipline required; preferred MBA.

• At least 8-12 years’ experience in a fast-moving consumer goods company in similar conditions (high number or projects interacting together, in a fast pace rhythm); 5 years of relevant project management experience with the ability to manage high complexity projects with senior leadership exposure.
• Demonstrated leadership experience and readiness to manage and develop a team of project managers.   Minimal supervision required.  This person works independently.
  • Complexity: Scope is broad and requires further definition, project is sometimes required to have an accelerated timeline, with high risk level anticipated, executive governance is required, most projects will have capital expenditure (more than $1M), projects may be strategic in nature. 
  • Title suggestion: Manager, PMO

Additional Qualifications:

• MS Project expert
• PMP certification a plus
• Prior experience in a food manufacturing setting a plus

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Minimum requirements:   

• Proven track record of delivering results and displaying the leadership competencies and values of the organization.  These include:

• Taking charge and ability to lead
• Effective communicator
• Manage change, and influence (influence without authority)
• Highly organized and multi-tasker
• Influence without authority
• Business acumen and political savvy
• Functional skills with ability to go deep into details (work in macro and micro)
• Ability to navigate unknowns

• Has successfully led projects or had a significant contribution to the success of projects as a participant beyond their area of functional responsibility in a highly dynamic, challenging and constantly changing environment
• Understanding and ability to articulate the roles of each function in a product/package project and ability to get them working/interacting together in the most efficient manner
• Understanding of the interdependence of every decision and action taken in each function of the project on the overall project and be able to use judgment to challenge them
• Detail oriented, create detailed timelines and action plans for projects
• Must have good presentation skills and be able to synthesize project details into a concise, impactful summary adapted to the audience (all levels of the company)
• Strong computer proficiency MS office (including Project)
• Must be able to make decisions, explain why, without having (black/white) clarity – ability to navigate in the grey
• Must be able to work and succeed in a highly complex environment – many suppliers, many productions sites, complex logistics, high number of parallel projects impacting the same projects

Additional information:

• Ability to travel up to 5%