ENGINEERING PROJECT LEAD
$130,000 - $150,000/yr
Location: La Vergne, TN – On site with flexible hours Job ID: 1498 My Client is redefining excellence in the industrial tools and machinery industry. With industry shaping brands leads the way in delivering high quality solutions to professionals worldwide. Join them and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our products and industry. What You Will Do: The Project Leader (PL) is responsible for independently leading end-to-end execution of NPD projects, ensuring delivery against scope, schedule, cost, and quality targets. This role owns project outcomes and drives cross-functional alignment while managing technical risk and decision-making. The PL acts as the “CEO of the project”, defining what it takes to succeed and ensuring alignment across internal teams and external partners. Position Description: End-to-End Project Ownership * Lead projects from concept through launch and post-launch stabilization * Own project scope, schedule, budget, and execution * Deliver projects on time, within cost targets, and to defined quality standards Budget Management * Develop and manage project budgets, ensuring alignment with cost targets * Monitor financial performance and drive corrective actions as needed Market Research Validation \& Support * Ensure market research inputs from Product Management are robust and actionable * Support additional market and customer analysis to validate product direction Requirements Integrity * Translate Voice of the Customer (VoC) to product and engineering specifications * Lead translation of customer needs into prioritized, testable engineering requirements * Ensure requirements are clearly communicated and maintained across all stakeholders Concept \& Design Leadership * Collaborate with internal engineers and external suppliers to develop and refine product concepts * Drive design trade-offs balancing performance, cost, manufacturability, and timeline * Ensure design solutions meet requirements and business objectives Technical Risk Management * Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks across all project phases * Ensure appropriate level of engineering rigor at key gates (concept, design freeze, pre-production) * Drive validation strategies to confirm performance, reliability, and compliance Cross-Functional Leadership * Lead alignment across engineering, marketing, supply chain, quality, manufacturing, and suppliers * Influence stakeholders without direct authority to achieve project objectives * Drive accountability and timely decision-making Supplier \& Hybrid Development Model Management * Manage projects involving both internal design teams and external supplier-led development * Ensure integration, alignment, and technical integrity across all contributors Quality \& Lifecycle Ownership * Ensure reliability considerations are addressed early in development * Drive quality validation and readiness prior to tooling release and mass production Background Required: EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES * Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field, required EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES * 5-10+ years of experience in product development/project leadership * PMP or equivalent project management certification, preferred * Familiarity with CAD tools, SolidWorks, preferred * Proven ability to independently manage cross-functional projects * Strong technical acumen with ability to guide and challenge design decisions * Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills Miscellaneous: Compensation: * $130-150K + Bonus * Full benefit package including medical, dental and 401(k).