Project Manager

The warehouse of the future contains high-density, high-precision racking with automated pallet shuttles (like our atlas 1D) instead of wide aisles that forklifts need to pass through.

Our customers benefit from much better utilization of their warehouses (up to 70% more pallet storage than traditional rack!), maximized vertical space, improved accuracy in pallet selection, and minimized labor costs and product damage.

Over the span of more than 40 years, we’ve grown into a company with 10 manufacturing facilities, 19 commercial offices, and the know-how of around 2000 employees serving customers in 40 countries.

Early 2021, we opened our US Office and have already grown to around 50 people. It’s exciting times to be at stow!

Location:

Romeoville, IL , United States

Purpose of the job

The purpose of this document is to provide a clear overview of the most important outcomes and competencies but not to be an exhaustive list. The dynamics of stow’s startup culture requires each of us to be flexible and do what’s best for the customer and the organization. Together, we can accomplish a lot!

Mission

The Project Manager is an integral person in helping our customer’s vision for a conventional or semi-automated storage solution from stow US come to life. When assigned to a Racking for Robotics project, there is additionally a close working relationship with the Robotics Project Manager throughout the project lifecycle until the rack is fully installed. In such projects, stow US is the supplier to stow Robotics.

Outcomes

The Project Manager…

creates, maintains, and communicates comprehensive and achievable project timelines and holds all parties accountable in the project plan execution (initial planning phase)

· take over the project from Sales and Sales Engineering in Internal Project Kick Off Meeting to learn the product scope

· lead the External Project Kick Off Meeting to get to know the customer’s project team, determine communication pathways, the customer’s timeline, operating hours, PPE requirements and fielding technical questions, and manage the customer’s expectations if needed

· be the single point of contact for the customer throughout the project lifecycle and proactively create clarity around project progress or issues when feasible and/or required

· work backwards from the customer’s timeline and create material schedules in collaboration with Project Engineering and Site Management

· develop the project budget

· submit approval drawings to the Customer

· issue Purchase Orders for locally sourced products, equipment, services, etc.

· collaborate with Project Engineering and Supply Chain regarding transport planning

Plans for a qualitative on-time and under-budget project execution (site planning activities phase)

· ensure that building specs are confirmed in an initial site survey to gauge the complexity of the project and preplan material delivery spots and trash disposal

· meet with the end-customer and integrator’s project team face-to-face to present the project plan and enable good working relationships

· source and obtain quotes from contractors such as mechanical and electrical installers

· review the quotations and determine their accuracy and feasibility; negotiate pricing, produce a service contract and secure the service provider for work

· create project schedule and share assembly drawings with contractors

· hold kick off meeting with contractors to discuss site conditions

· communicate and update the customer in the agreed frequency plus whenever the situation calls for it; e.g., during shipping or installation delays

· collaborate with Project Engineering when change orders are necessary in case of customer requests or production issues

· notify the customer of mobilization date

· process Material Goods Receipts

· initiate customer invoicing at key milestones together with Accounting

· identify project risks or uncertainties, escalate issues to the relevant project stakeholders, take mitigative action to stay within the project timeline

· troubleshoot and come up with creative solutions

· may make engineering recommendations based on personal experience

· keep track of project spend in SAP

Makes an on-time and under-budget project execution a reality (installation phase)

· be accountable for the rack installation which is primarily led by the Site Manager. Deliverables include receiving and inventory materials, perform a missing material process if needed, oversee rack installation, perform measurement inspection, develop and complete the final punch list

· be the back up for the Site Manager

· travel to site as needed, e.g., during mobilization, to relieve the Site Manager temporarily, when there are site issues, and at the handover of the completed racking installation

· if there is no automation, sign off on the acceptance of the rack and issue a handover document to the customer

· if there is automation, coordinate the handover from the Racking to Automation Installation Team

continuously improves project planning and processes

· create one page documents (Factoids) on lessons or processes learned

· share knowledge with relevant colleagues

· implement process improvements based on experience from previous projects

· contribute towards SOP

Miscellaneous

· Adhere to Delegation of Authority

Key result areas & Key deliverables

QSHE & Compliance

• Responsible for motivating/ensuring everyone works safely and according to the stow’ QSHE standards to ensure that all work is done in a safe, efficient, and qualitative way.
• Complies with the attitude of Lean and continuous improvements in the organization.
• Responsible for ensuring that all executed activities and processes are in compliance with stow’ QSHE standards, policies, instructions, and local legislation.

Work preparation & project follow up

• Is the SPOC (Single Point Of Contact) for the projects assigned to him/her and towards the client, the sub-contractors and the stow team.
• Assessing the operational, technical and financial feasibility of the project and anticipate if applicable
• Attends kick-off meetings, technical/site meetings, commercial meetings and planning meetings as well as site inspections, …with the client or with internal stow departments if needed.
• Ensuring that all engineering and preparatory activities are undertaken
• Responsible for visiting the site, setting up a detailed project planning and checking all the requirements for mobilization of equipment and resources.
• Communicates clearly concerning the execution and progress of the project.

Supervision operational activities

• Willingness to travel to sites (50% of time).
• Monitoring the progress and quality of the project, identifying deviations and correcting (or initiate corrections) where necessary.
• Managing operational staff and subcontractors regarding the project execution. Supervises the safe execution of the project on site and observes the QSHE regulations and administration.
• Supervises the assembly methods and checks the quality of the delivered materials.

Contract management

• Claim management - Identifying contract variations and/or delay notifications
• Ensuring variations are communicated to and negotiated with the client according to the contractual requirements.

Financial follow up & administration

• Responsible for budget follow up and daily cost management, in order to draft periodical progress reports and initiates invoicing.
• Responsible for checking and approving all incoming project related invoices
• Looks for commercial opportunities, additional billable services or other ways to improve the financial revenue of the assigned projects.

Supply Chain: Procurement of parts or services, domestic and international transportation

stow Robotics PM: Project work relating to fully automated systems

After Sales: Commissioning

Finance: Billing, updates on project timelines affecting billing

Competencies

Intelligence Learns quickly. Demonstrates ability to quickly and proficiently understand and absorb new information

Influence Has a positive effect on a process or person in the development of solutions

Listening Lets others speak and seeks to understand their viewpoints with curiosity

Taking Initiative Thinks proactively about tasks and takes action – not to check them off a list, but to get them done well

Integrity Is truthful, holds oneself accountable

Flexibility Embraces change

Tenacity Goes after results

Teamwork Works with different disciplines within the organization; unfettered when working with different people

Optimism Focuses on the common vision instead of focusing on the obstacles

Technology

· stowCalc

· AutoCAD 2D (viewer)

· MS Office incl. MS Project

· SAP

Basic Physical Requirements

· Start time around 8 am CST or sooner, if desired, so we have an adequate amount of overlap with Belgium

· Travel North America: Conduct site visits as necessary; 5-7 days per month (average 2 tips per month); occasionally, travel at short notice when there are installation issues (while we want to avoid this as much as possible, it may include traveling over the weekend)

· Travel International: Training and/or stow Project Managements Events held in Europe approximately 1x annually (usually no longer than 1 week at a time; may include traveling over the weekend)

· Sitting: Almost all duties require working in an office environment in front of a laptop. It’s recommended to move regularly throughout the day to mitigate the health risks that prolonged sitting brings

· Lifting: Occasionally, move some pieces of material (25-30lb) on site

· Cold environment: Some projects will be in cold storage facilities that require appropriate clothing which will be provided by stow

What do we offer you?

1. 20 days PTO, 5 days paid sick leave, 11 US paid holidays
2. Medical (currently BlueCross BlueShield), Dental and Vision Insurance, including Family coverage, all currently 90% Company paid
3. Company paid Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
4. Company Paid Life Insurance
5. Company Paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment
6. 401K with employer match, currently 4%
7. Partial Tuition Reimbursement after 12 months
8. Gross Salary

Salary Range: $130,000 to $145,000 yearly 

Quality, Safety, Health, Environment, Compliance

Every employee at stow contributes to a safe and compliant work environment. We set the example and motivate each other to work safely, efficiently, and in a qualitative way. stow’s standards, policies, instructions, and local legislations are there to guide our decisions.

EEO

stow provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. stow prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.