Senior Operations Project Leader

Senior Operations Project Leader (Strategic Operations Team)

The Senior Operations Project Leader will support Milwaukee Tool’s Hand Tools Storage, PPE, Core, and Layout product lines through new product development launches, manufacturing initiatives, risk mitigation, and strategic transfer execution.

• Lead moderate to highly complex operations projects for NPD and manufacturing support with minimal direction, ensuring deliverables meet operational, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Lead a team of project leaders through low to moderate complexity projects.
• Lead strategic initiatives for the West Bend site such as new opportunity assessment, facilitation of annual strategy sessions, and core competency mapping.
• Partner closely with marketing, engineering, sourcing, manufacturing cells, finance, and supply planning teams to make high‑level decisions and keep the team aligned to project status.
• Schedule, develop agendas for, and facilitate project meetings; document discussions with action items to capture topics and drive actions to closure.
• Track project schedule to ensure adherence to timelines; keep team and management informed of issues, provide risk‑mitigation options, and elevate key roadblocks.
• Manage project budgets, track expenditures, and ensure financial compliance.
• Communicate technical details and concepts to engineers and non‑engineers at all levels; lead formal project reviews and participate in management reviews. Regularly create presentations of project status.
• Evaluate product design relative to material selection, cost, reliability, and manufacturability; offer improvement ideas and provide multiple what‑if scenarios to identify the best path and understand financial and operational impacts.
• Lead manufacturing process feasibility studies, analyze alternatives, and select options that best meet objectives for capital, cost, capacity, and timing.
• Create manufacturing cost models for new projects to analyze the best operational approach; assist engineering to quote new product opportunities requested of the site.
• Investigate and initiate innovative technology to stay disruptive in the market.
• Interpret data and make corresponding recommendations, including:
• Impact to financials (GM, EBIT, total Cap Ex)
• Intermediate supply chain design analysis
• Risk trade‑off for short- and long‑term strategy
• Regularly visit production sites and suppliers to maintain open lines of communication. The candidate will travel across greater Milwaukee sites bi‑weekly and international sites 1‑2 times per year.

• Relevant degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, supply chain, or operations; graduate studies preferred in Project Management, Finance, Marketing, or Organizational studies.
• Minimum 7 years of engineering or operations experience in a related field.
• Proven track record managing multiple high‑complexity projects simultaneously.
• Proficient understanding of cost drivers associated with materials, labor, and overhead.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Project).
• Ability to travel internationally and domestically several times per year (10% travel).

• High level of manufacturing/industrial engineering aptitude and broad knowledge of manufacturing processes with experience implementing equipment.
• Experience with ERP systems and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) desired – Oracle Cloud and High Jump preferred.
• Capacity to establish credibility with different business functions and influence project teams.
• Effective written and oral communication skills, ability to establish rapport and credibility.

Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.