Project Specialist

Project Specialist—Hill's Pet Nutrition

Job Number #170565
• Topeka, Kansas, United States

Colgate‑Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries, specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name! We are a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet.

Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals and build a brighter, healthier future for all.

As a Project Specialist in the Project Management Office (PMO), you will lead complex, cross‑functional projects from initiation through launch. You will drive project planning, execution, and launch by applying core project management principles (scope, schedule, budget, risk, stakeholder management). You will ensure projects across the Hill's Pet Nutrition organization align with strategic goals and are completed on time and within budget.

• Project Management:
  Develop and manage project plans, schedules, and budgets. Proactively identify and mitigate risks to ensure successful, on‑time delivery. Communicate project status, risks, and changes to leadership and stakeholders.
• Cross‑Functional Coordination:
  Act as the Project Lead for multiple strategic projects. Align and manage all cross‑functional partners (e.g., Marketing, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Design, Packaging) to ensure smooth execution. Manage team activities, including meetings, action items, interdependencies, and communications.
• PM Discipline & Documentation:
  Establish and champion project management excellence and capabilities. Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business objectives. Coordinate and ensure timely completion of all project documentation and presentations.
• PMO Contribution:
  Actively contribute to the PMO to drive continuous process improvement across the project portfolio. Help develop and implement best practices, establishing the PMO as a center of excellence that delivers strategic value.

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, technical, business, or related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressive project management experience.
• Proven ability to lead and manage complex, cross‑functional projects. Expertise in core project management methodologies (scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communication, risk, and stakeholder management).

• Progressive project management experience in New Product Introduction or Product Development within a structured/regulated industry.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), or equivalent certification.
• Experience in product commercialization (waterfall or agile environments).
• Experience managing project and department activities and utilizing schedule and resource forecasting tools.
• Expert‑level familiarity with enterprise Project Management applications (Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence, and Google Workspace).
• Strong analytical skills: ability to gather, analyze, and present project data, including creating data visualizations (e.g., Looker, Tableau, or Power BI).

Salary Range $95,000.00 – $ USD. Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit‑sharing, and long‑term incentives for Executive‑level roles.

Benefits:
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with company matching (subject to eligibility). Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays. Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws.

Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers worldwide and fostering an…