Global VAVE Project Manager

MSA Safety is a purpose-driven company committed to innovation and technology to protect people and assets worldwide. They are seeking a highly driven and strategic Global VAVE Project Manager to lead enterprise-wide Value Analysis / Value Engineering initiatives focused on product cost optimization and operational efficiency across global product portfolios.

Responsibilities:

• Plan, facilitate, and lead VAVE workshops for new product development and existing product portfolios
• Define project scope, gather cost and technical data, and align cross-functional teams
• Lead function analysis, idea generation, evaluation, and development of cost-reduction concepts
• Manage VAVE projects from initiation through implementation, including scope, schedule, budget, risks, and resources
• Track project performance, savings, milestones, blockers, and corrective actions
• Build and lead global cross-functional teams across Engineering, Sourcing, Operations, Quality, Product Management, and Finance
• Communicate project status, risks, decisions, and recommendations to leadership and stakeholders
• Drive continuous improvement, standardization, and best-practice sharing across the VAVE process
• Support change management, implementation planning, and sustainment of completed initiatives
• Align VAVE initiatives with MSA strategic priorities and provide high-visibility updates to senior leadership on value creation, savings delivery, risk mitigation, and business impact

Requirements:

• A minimum of 7 years of project management experience in cross-functional and/or geographically diverse projects from discovery through deployment with proven track record of successful delivery and subsequent value realization
• CAP-M or significant progress towards PMP® (Project Management Professional)
• Highly developed emotional intelligence and a leadership mindset to navigate project team challenges, establish trust, enhance collaboration, build relationships, drive engagement, ensure alignment, and influence without direct authority
• Advanced project management acumen needed to adapt to complex project environments, solve ambiguous problems, and drive strategic decision-making
• Advanced knowledge of, and experience implementing, project management methodologies and strategies to effectively and efficiently manage stakeholders, quality, schedule, scope, budget, resources, and risks
• Skilled at proactively and strategically communicating to inform and collaborate with project teams and stakeholders on project progress, milestones, and potential hurdles
• Executive presence and experience working directly with senior leaders, including ability to preparedly, confidently, succinctly, and tactfully present
• Understanding of change management expertise necessary to facilitate the adoption, functional ownership, and sustainment of deployed projects
• Strong customer focus, with ability to support driving tasks to completion to ensure on-time delivery while meeting or exceeding expectations
• Strong time management and organization ability to prioritize tasks, manage individual backlog, and complete tasks on time
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including formal presentation skills and ability to tailor messaging to audience
• Displays integrity and intellectual curiosity
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field
• Including 5+ years progressive experience in manufacturing process environment and/or Product development, with knowledge in Lean tools
• Experience with SharePoint, Tempus, Miro, Teams, and MS Project
• VA/VE Facilitator
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or VAVE certification
• Experience with FAST, DFMA, should-cost analysis, PLM, SAP, or project management tools
• Knowledge of product cost drivers, manufacturing processes, design-to-cost, and value engineering methods
• MBA/MS