Senior Project Manager (Hybrid)

Company Description

At Lakeshore, we create innovative learning materials and world-class guest experiences for teachers, parents and children. Since 1954, we’ve grown into a global community—with a thriving e-commerce business, multiple catalogs, 60 retail stores, a peerless national sales force, plus international offices that support our preeminent supply chain division. But today we’re working better, smarter and faster than ever—and setting our sights even higher. We’re building an infrastructure designed for scalability, embracing data-driven decision-making and using technology to improve efficiency and ensure the best tools for the best work. Most importantly, we continue to invest in a diverse team of inquisitive top talent who fuel each other’s passions and curiosity, take risks, try new things, and believe that every new day brings opportunities for growth.

Job Description

We’re looking for a Senior Project Manager to join our Product Research & Development team. In this role you will oversee and ensure implementation of new product development items from concept through launch. This role requires project management and leadership skills, demonstrated by the ability to influence and lead within a rapidly evolving and cross-functional environment. The candidate should be experienced and well-grounded in the fundamental principles as they pertain to project management of new product development. 

In this role, you will lead a cross-functional team whose emphasis will be on delivering projects on time across a variety of product types and complexities. You will also be accountable for delivering projects that will require building project plans, aligning partners, proactively managing risk, managing the overall timeline and driving team accountabilities to deliver the final project objectives. 

A day in the office looks like this: 

• Applying project management principles, including analyzing performance and driving continuous improvement opportunities.  
• Leading cross-functional project teams (which may include Research & Development, Engineering, Asia Master Planning, Commercial Planning, Regulatory) from concept through launch
• Clearly communicating key milestones, critical path deliverables and project expectations to project team members, while also identifying and creating mitigation plans for project risks
• Driving accountability among cross-functional team members, ensuring an approval readiness and priority for concept and design approval meetings 
• Providing regular project status updates to the senior management team highlighting project risks.  
• Utilizing effective communication skills to appropriately inform various levels of the organization and team members in a timely manner.  
• Facilitating discussions and meetings to enable project teams to resolve conflicts and make timely decisions.  
• Troubleshooting production-level samples and making suggestions to fix defects, improve mechanisms and guarantee end consumer satisfaction.  

Qualifications

Got the skills and experience? Here’s what we’re looking for:

• A bachelor’s degree is preferred  
• A minimum of 5+ years of experience in project management in product development organizations.  A plus if experience in operations, commercial planning, project engineering or manufacturing planning 
• Experienced and knowledgeable in the new product introduction process, sales and operations planning, and the product development process  
• Proficiency in MS Excel is required, with an emphasis on an ability to build and present reports  
• Driven, with excellent senior-level communication and organizational skills, and the ability to influence and constructively challenge teams and business partners to achieve project goals  
• Comfortable challenging the status quo and looking for ways to improve processes  
• Experience in communication through remote mediums, such as video conferences, e-mails and text communication.  
• Strong conceptual, analytical and problem-solving skills  
• Must be comfortable with systems and data analysis  
• Experience in change management and with Kaizen principles are a plus  
• Experience using Workfront is a plus
• Experience working in a Product Lifecyle Management (PLM) Tool is a plus

Additional Information

And here’s our end of the bargain! 

At Lakeshore, we pay local market wages for employees that reside within Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

For this position, new employees joining Lakeshore who live within Los Angeles and Orange Counties are typically brought into the organization at a salary rate between $82,000-$114,500 depending on relevant experience & skillset.

This range is indicative of projected hiring range. The annual base compensation will take into account each candidate's relevant experience, location, and skillset.

• Bonus eligible
• Paid leave for new parents to support work/life balance and family bonding
• Excellent medical/dental and vision coverage—EPO, PPO and HSA
• 401(k) retirement plan with company contribution (because you will retire someday)
• Flexible benefits—choose what you like, ignore the rest
• On-site preschool for our employees’ children
• On-site employee gym for all levels/fitness needs
• Generous employee discount
• Casual dress…and we really mean it

At Lakeshore, we know our diversity makes us stronger, and when everyone feels included and valued, we all win. We strive to embrace our differences and create an intentionally diverse and inclusive community that is representative of the teachers, families and children we serve.

We know we couldn’t do the extraordinary things we’re doing without the people on our team. Thanks to the passion and enthusiasm of this spectacular group, Lakeshore is more than a great place to work—it’s a great experience to be part of. Day in and day out, we give everything we’ve got to create products that instill a sense of wonder and foster a true love of learning. To help maintain this high bar for success, we’re constantly on the lookout for people to join us. So if you’re a down-to-earth professional who shares our desire for making a difference, we’d love to hear from you. 
 
To learn more about Lakeshore, visit www.lakeshorelearning.com/careers 
 
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
People are selected to become members of the Lakeshore family based on skill, merit and mind-boggling talent—not based on race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, marital status, domestic partnership status, military status, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, alienage, AIDS or AIDS-related complex status, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, status as a victim of domestic violence, physical or mental disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If things aren’t equal, we all lose.

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