The Launch Director is responsible for the successful launch of projects within their Business Unit that meet their intended goals as set forth in the project award. They do so by promoting collaboration across the company and customers, and by ensuring that there is an alignment with the technical activities, BU business strategies and operational needs. The most critical aspect of the position includes ownership for identifying, prioritizing, and coordinating project and program resources engaged with all initiatives within said project.

This role comes with overarching responsibility of overseeing, managing and leveraging the entire life cycle of investments and initiatives to achieve the strategic goals and objectives within the project and the Business Unit.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The primary duties of a Launch Director include:

• Facilitate and coordinate the Business Unit project portfolio with timely progress information and metrics.
• Supervise the day-to-day activities of the Program Manager(s) as they relate to meeting the project goals in a matrix style environment.
• Strategically align projects and programs for the Business Unit through evaluation, selection, and prioritization of the appropriate resources (including competitive CAPEX solutions).
• Communicate highly complex technical information to sales and customers that facilitate clarity, problem solving and proposals.
• Provide cross-functional technical guidance to stakeholders such as but not limited to Capital Deployment Engineers, Process Engineers, and product development engineers.

• Drives the voice of the BU into technical solutions by describing technical and commercial success.
• Oversee the flow of communication between team members, customers, and stakeholders for strategic initiatives and operational support.
• Escalate issues to provide visibility to Senior Management. Drive timely solutions to those issues.
• Contribute to and drive ongoing continuous improvement of organizational business processes.
• Mentors others within Graham Packaging on recognized best practices in Program Management, as well as the APQP and other pertinent business processes.
• Drives adherence to the APQP process.
• Drive accountability in team members.
• Travel up to 30% at times.

Core Proficiencies and Skills

The following skills and proficiencies are essential requirements of the position:

• Technical acumen – demonstrate the ability to understand technical details and contribute in technical discussions
• Ability to operate at both the strategic and tactical functional level to manage project expectations, perceptions, deliverables and resources.
• Ability to effectively interact with all levels of business and engineering, providing guidance, support and detailed documentation.
• Demonstrate experience developing a project scope, budgets and timelines (using MS project or equivalent).
• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to develop and communicate the portfolio objectives, inspire and motivate staff, and maintain alignment to the business strategy.

• Strong business acumen, including industry-specific knowledge of the enterprise and its business units. Familiar with industry trends and innovation.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Execution driven attitude. Is able to set clear goals for the Project teams and drives them to be achieved.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements

• BS degree in a related field (Engineering, Business Administration).
• Seven to 10 years of diverse roles and increasing leadership responsibilities across major projects and programs
• Demonstrated experience in managing "upward" among senior leadership
• Demonstrated experience in leading diverse teams
• Experience in program planning, coordinating diverse geographically located team members, procurement, and installation and start-up of capital equipment projects.
• Experience in projects involving manufacturing lines performing industrial processing
• Preferred background in strategy development.
• Experience in managing projects in a geographically dispersed matrix organization

The standard compensation for this role is $147,700 - $221,100. Salary offers will be determined based on final candidate qualifications, experience, skillset, and other relevant factors.