Project Manager – Product Development Process

Quick Facts

Full-time Project Manager (m/w/d) for the product development process in Mönchengladbach; salary €62,000–72,000.

Description

You will lead projects within the product creation process—planning, milestone control, cross-functional coordination, and communication. The role focuses on meeting schedule, cost, quality, and technical requirements, while coordinating tests, validation, and production ramp-up in line with applicable standards. You will also drive process improvements using lessons learned and manage early risk identification and escalation.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain project plans, resource overviews, and schedules; steer project milestones
• Monitor project targets for deadlines, costs, quality, and technical requirements
• Coordinate with development, design, purchasing, quality, production, sales, and product management
• Organize and moderate project meetings, workshops, and status updates; produce status reports, decision bases, and risk assessments
• Identify potential risks early, assess impacts, and initiate appropriate measures
• Coordinate tests, validations, and production start-ups; ensure compliance with relevant standards, quality requirements, and internal standards
• Analyze and further develop existing processes; establish standardized project processes and derive improvements from lessons learned
• Ensure smooth information flow across stakeholders and escalate critical issues early to executive management

Requirements

• Completed technical or technical-commercial vocational training, ideally supplemented by technician training
• At least 4 years of professional experience in metal processing (development, production, or product management)
• Experience with small- and large-series production
• Solid knowledge of the product development process, manufacturing processes, relevant standards, and quality requirements
• Project management knowledge (certification is an advantage)
• Understanding of business aspects such as cost, costing, efficiency, and time-to-market
• Experience with technical drawings, bill of materials, and technical documentation; knowledge of process optimization methods such as Lean Management, value stream analysis, or KVP
• Strong organizational and analytical skills; ability to quickly grasp complex issues
• Technical competence, organizational talent, and a structured, solution-oriented working style
• Communication skills; strong moderation and presentation abilities
• Independent, proactive, results-oriented work with high reliability
• Assertiveness, decision-making ability, and resilience under tight deadlines and parallel tasks
• Strong goal orientation focused on milestones, deadlines, and reducing time-to-market

Benefits

• Permanent contract
• Responsible role with room for shaping processes in a growing company
• 37 hours/week with flexible working time (Gleitzeit)
• 30 days of vacation
• Up to two days of mobile work per week
• Participation in company success
• Modern IT equipment including a personal laptop
• Structured onboarding, training opportunities, and health management
• Company pension and capital-forming benefits
• Additional company health insurance, Corporate Benefits, employee parking, JobRad
• Free drinking water and fruit/vegetable days