Entry-level Manufacturing Project Manager

Project Manager

This Project Manager role focuses on overseeing customer orders from initial receipt through final completion within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You will coordinate closely with sales, engineering, production, purchasing, and customers to ensure that every project is delivered on time, accurately documented, and aligned with customer expectations. The position is ideal for a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who enjoys managing multiple projects simultaneously and collaborating with diverse teams in a machine shop or manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Manage customer-based projects and orders from start to finish, ensuring successful delivery and completion.
• Enter, track, and monitor customer orders using Microsoft Dynamics 365, maintaining accurate and up-to-date information.
• Coordinate daily with sales, engineering, production, purchasing, and other internal departments to support on-time delivery and resolve issues.
• Communicate proactively with sales staff, customers, vendors, and internal teams to provide status updates and clarify project requirements.
• Prioritize workloads across multiple projects and orders, balancing quick design jobs with longer tooling projects.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve scheduling or order-related issues to keep projects on track.
• Maintain accurate project documentation, including order details, timelines, and status updates, to ensure transparency and traceability.
• Manage an average workload of 3–5 orders per day, adjusting priorities as needed based on customer and production demands.
• Support a structured project environment where assignments are divided among project managers by major accounts.
• Contribute to a collaborative team culture by engaging with engineers, sales staff, shop personnel, and other stakeholders openly and professionally.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors Degree
• Manufacturing Internships
• Hands-on experience with ERP systems, with the ability to quickly learn and use Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and orders simultaneously.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Team-oriented mindset with an open, friendly personality and willingness to engage with different groups.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar ERP platforms such as SAP, Net Suite, Oracle, or Epicor.
• Background in product management in addition to project management within manufacturing environments.
• Comfort working with technical products and machine tools, including understanding basic workflows in turning, grinding, and milling operations.
• Ability to adapt to varying project durations, from quick design projects of approximately two weeks to tooling projects of 10–12 weeks.
• Interest in contributing to the design, development, and support of high-quality industrial products.

Work Environment

This role is based in an office environment with open workstations rather than enclosed cubicles, encouraging collaboration and easy communication among team members. Standard working hours are from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with a company-wide lunch break from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, and occasional overtime may be required depending on project demands. The organization designs, develops, manufactures, and supports its own work holding systems for turning, grinding, and milling machine tools, offering exposure to advanced industrial technologies and processes.

Training includes HR onboarding and a product overview to help you become familiar with the company's offerings, systems, and workflows. The workplace operates on a single shift, providing a consistent schedule in a structured yet dynamic manufacturing-focused environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Wheeling, IL.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $36.00 - $40.00/hr eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Wheeling,IL.