Project Manager

Level: M4

Department: R&D

Location: Cambridge

 

About Xaar

Inkjet Innovator. Trusted Partner. Sustainable Future. Xaar is here to create a world where you can print anything you can imagine.

For more information, visit www.xaar.com.

Xaar Values:

Xaar has defined 5 values which are vital to our business; each represents an area of essential importance to us. Their existence is intended to guide difficult decisions and shape behaviour.

Creative – we push the boundaries of what’s possible

Collaborative – everyone is a partner; we help each other freely and willingly

Innovative – we always strive to constantly improve

Integrity – we deliver on our promises

Passion – we care about our technology, our products, our partners and each other

Purpose of Role: 

We are looking for a Project Manager to manage our new product development (NPD) projects within the Project Management Office.  In this role, you will work with our multi-disciplinary teams to manage the development of new products from concept through to production.  

We need an innovative, experienced and delivery-focused individual with the drive and enthusiasm to push forward relentlessly in a fast-paced and challenging environment.

 

Reporting Relationships:

  • Reports to: Head of Project Management.
  • Direct reports: none.

 

Key Accountabilities:

  • Manage projects in accordance with the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process.
  • Work with the project team to:
    • Identify customer requirements, develop product specifications, forecast product sales, create investment estimates, produce project plans (project schedule, resources, communication, risks, ROI etc.).
    • Create product concepts and develop detailed designs, design verification and product validation plans, manufacturing plans, product certification strategy.
    • Create go-to-market plans and product collateral, arrange product training, complete product testing, complete documentation, launch the product, learn the lessons.
  • Use a range of techniques to ensure schedule, budgets, risk, quality and scope are under control.
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders to encourage collaboration and ensure on-time delivery.
  • Ensure adherence to PLM process and proactively drive process evolution to include best practice and improve efficiency, quality, time-to-market etc.
  • Support all NPD projects in line with the Product Roadmap.

Note: in this role, the project manager is not directly responsible for defining technical solutions.

 

Key Competencies:

Successful applicants will have comprehensive knowledge of the following key competencies, and experience in applying them in complex, rapidly changing situations:

  • Leadership & professionalism - the ability to empower and inspire others to deliver in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner.
  • Team management - the ability to select, motivate, develop and manage teams to achieve specified objectives and to resolve differences and conflicts between them.
  • Stakeholder management - the ability to identify and effectively engage with all stakeholders, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.
  • Planning - the ability to consolidate and document the fundamental components of a project and then prepare and maintain schedules for project activities and events.
  • Financial management - the ability to develop and agree budgets for projects, and to control forecast and actual costs demonstrating strong commercial awareness.
  • Quality management – the ability to ensure that the project outputs and processes through which they are delivered are meeting stakeholder requirements.
  • Requirements management – the ability to capture, assess and justify stakeholders’ wants and needs to arrive at an agreed schedule of requirements.
  • Risk & issue management – the ability to identify risks (threats and opportunities) and issues, assess them and plan and implement appropriate responses.
  • Governance - the ability to establish and maintain structures that define clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for governance and delivery of the project.

 

Key Challenges:

  • Drive adoption and adherence to process (PLM) across all departments.
  • Management of key stakeholders with strong personalities.
  • Responsive to changing priorities and increasing time pressure.
  • Foster collaboration between departments.
  • Develop a culture for on-time delivery.

Key Relationships:

  • Project Leads (Technical) & Team Leads (Resources).
  • Chief Architect.
  • NPI Manager (Manufacturing).
  • Director of Print Systems.
  • Director of Technology.
  • Group R&D Director.

 

Person Specification:

  • Intelligent, personable, with a positive attitude. Able to inspire confidence and respect at all levels.
  • Able to demonstrate strong leadership and people management skills across the business.
  • Not afraid of speaking their mind, taking risks and challenging decisions.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
  • Methodical, logical and process orientated.
  • Dynamic and able to react to changing situations.
  • Resilient and able to manage conflicting needs and challenging problems.
  • Good organisational skills, able to plan, prioritise tasks and co-ordinate the work of others.
  • Commercially aware and results orientated. Comfortable representing Xaar in front of customers.  Able to travel internationally when required.

 

Experience:

  • Degree qualified in a STEM subject.
  • Minimum 3-5 years’ experience managing projects in high-pressure NPD environments.
  • Thorough understanding of NPD and PLM processes.
  • A range of IT systems at an advanced level e.g. MS Office and Project, Atlassian JIRA and Cognidox, etc.
  • Formal project management qualification e.g. PRINCE2, MSP, APMP etc. (ideal, but not essential).
  • Digital printing (ideal, but not essential).