Project Manager in Troy, Michigan at HMS Products

Position Summary

We are seeking a customer-focused Project Manager to lead projects from order intake through final delivery. This role serves as the primary liaison between the customer and internal teams, ensuring technical requirements, scope, budget, and timeline expectations are clearly defined and successfully executed.

The ideal candidate has a technical foundation (Mechanical or Electrical Engineering preferred) or equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience and is comfortable coordinating across Sales, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Manufacturing teams.

This role requires strong communication, accountability, and organizational skills to drive projects forward and ensure customer satisfaction.

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Key Responsibilities

Customer & External Communication

· Serve as the primary point of contact for customers from project kickoff through completion.

· Lead project kickoff meetings to align expectations on scope, deliverables, and timelines.

· Manage customer communications regarding schedule, engineering changes, risks, and milestones.

· Ensure customer requirements are clearly documented, understood, and communicated internally.

Project Planning & Execution

· Develop and maintain detailed project schedules from engineering release through manufacturing and shipment.

· Track progress against timeline, budget, and deliverables.

· Identify risks early and proactively drive mitigation strategies.

· Manage scope changes and coordinate change order documentation.

· Ensure projects move efficiently through internal stage gates and approval processes.

Cross-Functional Coordination

· Coordinate between Sales, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing, and Purchasing.

· Ensure engineering deliverables align with customer specifications and contractual obligations.

· Monitor material procurement and manufacturing timelines to prevent delays.

· Facilitate regular internal project review meetings.

· Drive accountability across departments to meet committed deadlines.

Technical Oversight

· Review mechanical and electrical concepts at a high level to ensure alignment with customer requirements.

· Support clarification of technical specifications between engineering teams and the customer.

· Understand manufacturing constraints and ensure realistic schedules are communicated externally.

Documentation & Reporting

· Maintain organized project documentation, including scope, revisions, schedules, and approvals.

· Provide internal and external status reports.

· Track key performance indicators such as schedule adherence and margin performance.

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Required Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field OR 5+ years of manufacturing, automation, or custom equipment experience in lieu of formal engineering degree.

· 3+ years of project management experience in manufacturing, custom equipment, automation, or industrial environments.

· Strong understanding of engineering and manufacturing processes.

· Experience managing customer relationships in a technical environment.

· Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

· Strong communication and organizational skills.

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Preferred Qualifications

· Experience in custom machinery, automation systems, or capital equipment.

· Familiarity with ERP systems and project tracking tools.

· PMP certification (or working toward certification).

· Experience working with cross-functional engineering teams.

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Key Competencies

· Strong leadership and accountability

· Excellent written and verbal communication

· Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills

· Ability to translate technical information for non-technical stakeholders

· Detail-oriented with strong follow-through

· Customer-first mindset