Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager at The Judge Group Senior Project Manager at The Judge Group in Downey, California Posted in 6 days ago.

Type:

full-time

Job Description:

The Judge Group is seeking a Senior Project Manager for a client in Santa Fe Springs, CA. This is a full time, on site, direct hire role with a salary range of $130k-$140k. We're seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the full lifecycle of high-impact strategic and operational initiatives across R D, manufacturing, and supply chain . This role owns complex, multi-phase programs, drives Agile delivery, mentors project management staff, and serves as the primary point of accountability for project governance, portfolio performance, and PM capability development . You'll partner closely with executive leadership to align initiatives with company strategy while championing best-in-class project management and Agile practices across the organization. Key Responsibilities Strategic Planning & Portfolio Management Lead project intake, prioritization, and portfolio planning aligned with business objectives Define project charters, OKRs, scope, and success metrics at project kickoff Build and manage integrated master schedules using WBS and critical path analysis Apply PLM frameworks to govern stage-gate reviews and milestone approvals Implement automated tracking systems with real-time KPI dashboards Agile Execution Champion Scrum, Kanban, and hybrid Agile frameworks across cross-functional teams Facilitate sprint planning, daily stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives Manage and groom product backlogs; maintain burndown charts and velocity metrics Balance Agile delivery with food/pharma regulatory and compliance requirements Risk Management Own the project risk register: identification, scoring, assignment, and tracking Develop proactive risk response and mitigation plans with defined trigger criteria Apply root cause analysis techniques (5 Whys, Fishbone) to prevent recurrence Conduct pre-mortem analyses for high-risk initiatives prior to execution Quality & Continuous Improvement Integrate quality gates aligned with SQF, GMP, and internal quality standards Apply Lean and Six Sigma methodologies (DMAIC, Kaizen) to streamline workflows Lead structured lessons-learned sessions and institutionalize improvements Team Leadership, Mentorship & Management Directly manage Associate Project Managers and Project Coordinators Set goals, provide ongoing feedback, and conduct performance reviews Mentor team members through 1:1 coaching and structured development plans Foster a high-trust, high-accountability team culture Identify skills gaps and drive training, certification, and cross-functional learning Resource & Capacity Management Maintain and optimize resource capacity models across the project portfolio Surface constraints early; negotiate priorities across departments Manage vendors and contractors, including SOWs, SLAs, and performance reviews Stakeholder & Executive Communication Build stakeholder engagement plans tailored to diverse audiences Deliver executive dashboards, milestone updates, and steering committee reports Facilitate cross-functional alignment and resolve conflict through negotiation Project Closure & Knowledge Management Lead formal project closure including deliverable acceptance and financial reconciliation Recognize team contributions and ensure smooth transitions to operations Archive documentation and maintain a shared PM knowledge repository Produce final reports summarizing ROI, schedule performance, and quality outcomes Qualifications Education & Certifications Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, or a related field ( required ) MBA or Master's in Project Management ( preferred ) PMP certification required PMI-ACP or Certified Scrum Master (CSM) strongly preferred Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher preferred Technical Skills Proficiency with Monday.com, Jira, MS Project, or Smartsheet Experience with ERP, CRM, and/or PLM systems (NetSuite or similar) Strong KPI dashboarding, reporting, and data analysis skills Advanced Microsoft 365 skills (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Point) Working proficiency with AI tools and platforms (e.g., Claude, similar) Experience 7+ years of project management experience 5+ years in food, nutraceuticals, CPG, or other regulated manufacturing environments Demonstrated success delivering Agile/Scrum projects across cross-functional teams Portfolio-scale experience managing 100+ concurrent projects totaling $30M+ in value Proven people management and mentorship experience