Job Summary:

Responsible for the oversight and development of multiple complex global nutrition, skin care and/or cosmetic New Product Development (NPD) project timelines, from initiation through to product launch. Effectively collaborates with a variety of functional representatives across various level of management to explore alternative solutions and reach decisions in a manner that meets project timeline commitments. Accountable for coordinating and driving cross functional teams to ensure project deliverables and timeline commitments are achieved. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of task dependencies and how they relate to other steps in the new product development process. Anticipates and effectively communicates regular project status updates to senior management. Proactively assess potential risk to projects and leads team to drive issue resolution. Acts as change agent to help communicate and adopt continuous improvement initiatives across departments and project teams.

About the Role:

Responsibilities:

•        Provides direction and support to NPD team members including representation from teams such as Brand Development, Purchasing, R&D, Package Engineering, Contract Services, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Operations, Creative Services, GIC/Planning, and Finance. Proactively addresses and helps drive issues project issues to resolution, while elevating to senior leadership as appropriate. Drives all aspects of the project, ensuring team members remain on track and any delays are effectively addressed. Presents projects at gate reviews to senior leadership to assess project progress, share identified risks and action plans created, and gain approval to continue using resources to keep the projects moving forward. Ensures any action items from the gate review are met and keeps team informed of discussions and decisions made by senior leadership. Owns the New Product Development project, including the when and how a project will flow to create the specified product.

•        In collaboration with cross functional team members, create and drives multiple Project Plans (schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and deliverables) securing input from all impacted functional areas of the company. Sets appropriate timelines, tracks key milestones, and reports project progress against key milestones. Understands timing, relationships between activities, and steps required for each task in the project timeline. Works with NPD team to identify and align on timeline efficiencies when necessary. Identifies risks and creates contingency plans based on identified risks with the project team.

•        Utilizes Product Lifecycle Management system to track, document, analyze and report project progress. Acts as a gatekeeper for all project related items, including but not limited to the Project Justification and project timelines. Also owns change control for the Project Justification and managing the scope of the project. Determines preparedness for gate reviews. Also, serves as an advocate for the Product Lifecycle Management system

•        Aggressively monitors critical path activities. Follows up with team members to ensure project stays on track. Works to resolve timing constraints if critical tasks are delayed. Demonstrates advanced understanding of timeline and cross functional interdependencies and how to make recommendations based on the triple constraints priority. Delivers the project successfully - on time, within financial scope and meeting product costs. Elevates issues and escalates to upper management as needed to keep project on track and to remove barriers to success.

•        Monitors project progress and can represent the project by regularly providing updates to upper management. Uses detailed understanding of the process and examples from other projects to resolve complex issues and make improvements for future projects. Provides direction and guidance for project issues and drives issues to resolution. Builds relationships with team members, functional teams and global partners to gain the trust to lead and influence a team.

•        Schedules and conducts cross functional team meetings. Executes tasks/responsibilities with increasing complexity. Publishes meeting agendas and minutes with identified action items to hold team members accountable. Reviews past due and upcoming activities to ensure team is aware of what is expected to keep the project on track. Elevates issues at the team level to determine next steps.

•        Demonstrates advanced understanding of NDP financial concepts, including Understands impact of project decisions on COG%, overhead, direct labor, line decisions, and contract manufacturing costs to provide assessments of where costs can be reduced.

•        This job requires on-site work at a Mary Kay facility.

Skills & Experience:

Education:  Bachelor/University Degree with Project Management coursework preferred.

Experience:  3+ years new product development environment with direct project management experience, preferably in the skin care/cosmetic and/or nutrition industry. Knowledge of project management processes, and business fundamentals is critical. Possess strong out-of-the box alternative solution thinking skills. 3+ years of related experience with project management in NPD, in a cosmetic/beauty industry environment or similar regulated industry.

Additional Skills & Abilities

•      Must be proficient in the use of tracking/resource system; MS Excel (development of spreadsheets, import/export and linking); MS Word; MS PowerPoint; and MS Outlook. Oracle Agile software experience is desired.

•      Must be proficient in utilizing Gantt charts and project tracking software, such as MS Project, to track and manage projects.

•      Must be proficient in Stage Gate and other NPD Project Management tactics.

•      Must be able to recognize technical challenges within projects and collaborate with project team members to develop strategies and solutions.

•      Must possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills to influence across the organization and build trust, as well as possess a strong drive for results.

•      Must be organized, capable of managing high levels of detail, and handling multiple activities/tasks under pressure.

•      Must have a strong, assertive personality balanced with a respect for others.

•      Must be comfortable working with all levels in the organization, bringing up issues and providing recommendations for action plans,

•      Must understand downstream impacts to decisions and drive team to creatively address project issues.

•      Must balance the focus of the big picture scope of a project with understanding the criticality of individual tasks.

•      PMP® Certification or equivalent certification and/or experience preferred.

Company Overview

Looking for a career where you can make a difference?

At Mary Kay we are committed to enriching the lives of women and their families around the world, we offer careers with unlimited opportunities to do something beautiful every day. More than 5,000 employees work in locations around the world. They provide the products, marketing and other support to millions of Independent Beauty Consultants (IBCs) who work as independent contractors, selling our products directly to consumers in nearly 40 markets on five continents.

We are a company that believes in our people and cares for them with truly exceptional benefits. We offer:

·         A comprehensive health plan which includes medical, dental, and vision with low premiums

·         401(k) plan

·         A generous profit-sharing program

·         Free access to on-site fitness center and on-site clinic