Associate Project Manager

We’re Watts. Together, we’re reimagining the future of water.

We feel proud every day about what we do. We're all part of the same crucial mission, no matter what function we support -- it's to provide safe, clean water for the world, and to protect our planet's most valuable resource.

What we do:

For 150 years, Watts has built best-in-class products that are trusted by customers in residential and commercial settings across the world. We are at the forefront of innovation, working with cutting-edge technology to provide smart and connected, sustainable water solutions for the future. Watts is a leading brand with a quality reputation — and we have a dynamic future ahead.​

The Associate Project Manager is responsible to support New Product Development (NPD) projects for the Watts Heating & Hot Water Solutions platform. Under the direction of Manager PMO, and VP of Marketing & Product Development, the Associate Project manager will work cross-functionally to execute and deliver NPD projects on time, within budget, with adherence to the commercial specification.
The Associate Project Manager is responsible for day-to-day management including but not limited to supporting and managing projects through the NPD Stage Gate process – Initiate, Plan, Execute, and Close. The Associate Project Manager will implement project management tools, dashboards, and metrics to establish a Project Management Office to successfully facilitate and deliver on the NPD project portfolio within the Watts Applied Solutions unit of Watts Water Technologies.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Project Management:

• Support new product development efforts utilizing the Stage Gate process from concept to post-launch
• Ensure key stakeholders/team members follow a structured and repeatable process from ideation, business case/commercial specification, engineering/production validation, to market launch and post-launch close out
• Facilitate creation of project plan with required budget, resources, detailed project schedule, defining critical milestones, aligned with Stage Gate deliverables
• Ensure project scope, schedule, and required resources are clearly defined and aligned across all stakeholders
• Develop resource plan to meet project timeline, work closely with functional managers to allocate required resources to achieve milestones on time
• Identify project risks/issues and develop contingency plans to mitigate impact on schedule or scope throughout project lifecycle
• Schedule and support all required project gate review meetings with gatekeepers
• Facilitate and share lessons learned to ensure proliferation of knowledge and best practices implementation across the organization
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned or needed

NPD Process Management:

• Implement and improve PMO processes, procedures and tools based on Watts Stage-Gate and PMBOK methodologies
• Develop and maintain project KPIs for schedules, budget and resource allocation. Provide periodic updates for entire HHWS project portfolio to drive common understanding of status and to expose improvement opportunities
• Develop and maintain resource management capability to support Marketing, Engineering, and Operations organizations in balancing project priority and workload constraints
• Assist in improving organization’s ability to manage multiple complex and large projects on schedule and under budget
• Facilitate periodic NPD/VAVE project and gate reviews
• Assist in the Idea Generation process including facilitating periodic core team reviews
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned or needed

The expected salary range for this position is $80,000 - $90,000 yearly. Actual compensation will be dependent upon individual skills, experience, qualifications, and applicable laws.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and or abilities required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or 1-2 year of experience in Project management or equivalent combination of education and experience-Electrical, Mechanical, or Software engineering
• Computer efficiency – Intermediate level in MS office, Project, Visio, Adobe Acrobat
• Understanding of new product development, introduction and product life cycle
• Familiarity with Project Management Office tools – WBS, Logic Network, Gantt Chart, Agile methodology a plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to effectively discuss both commercial and technical aspects of a project to all stakeholders
• Excellent facilitation, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to perform on a strategic and tactical level
• Excellent planning, organization, time management, and structured thinking skills
• Knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of product development, project management and ability to lead teams in execution of these methodologies
• Portfolio, Schedule and Resource Management tools experience a plus
• Ability to travel – up to 25%

EDUCATION:

The following characteristics are required minimum qualifications, but alternative relative experience may be considered:

• Bachelor’s degree required. Degree in Engineering or Business is preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to walk, talk, and/or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, sit, and use hands to handle, or feel. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Office environment with occasional shop floor working environment.  Noise level is minimal. Required to wear safety glasses and utilize other safety equipment as required while present on the shop floor.

• Work in both office and manufacturing environment
• May occasionally be required to perform job duties outside the typical office setting.

*As required by the Americans Disabilities Act (ADA)

Watts in it for you:

Please note that the following benefits apply only to permanent roles and do not apply to internship roles.

• Competitive compensation based on your skills, qualifications and experience
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits
• Family building benefits, including paid maternity/paternity leave
• 10 paid holidays and Paid Time Off
• Continued professional development opportunities and educational reimbursement
• Additional perks such as fitness reimbursements and employee discount programs
• Learn more about our benefit offerings here: https://tapintowattsbenefits.com/

How we work:

At Watts, our culture is team-oriented and supportive. Employees here genuinely care about the quality of their work, and about each other. Our people are the heart of who we are and contribute to our longevity and continued success.

And this is a place where you can have a big career. No matter your role, there are opportunities for learning and development, and your daily contributions make a meaningful impact on the lives of people who use our products and on the future of water.

Watts is committed to equal employment opportunity. We follow a policy of administering all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, genetic disposition or carrier status, marital status, military or veteran status, minorities, or any other category protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Consistent with the obligations of state and federal law, Watts will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Any employee who needs a reasonable accommodation should contact Human Resources.