Join at an Exciting Time, Make an Impact & Advance Your Career at an Organization Driven by Strong Values

If you combine your project management expertise with excellent communication skills and a passion for your work, this position offers you some very compelling opportunities. You will:

• Gain broad exposure to our organization; we work with every lab in the US as well as with other internal teams, giving you the chance to develop a significant internal network.
• Take on a variety of complex projects regarding processes, operations and transformations. You'll execute against established processes, but each project has its own unique aspects.
• Enjoy solid training to get up to speed -- we are committed to setting you up for success. You'll also learn on an ongoing basis, such as expanding your knowledge of Lean manufacturing.
• Become part of an organization driven by a threefold mission: Improving lives by improving sight, Innovating for better vision, and Reaching the 2.7 billion underserved.
• Join at a dynamic time. Our 2018 merger with Luxottica has given us an unmatched global footprint in the eyewear industry, and some projects will support the integration of the two organizations.

Improving Lives By Improving Sight. Essilor of America, Inc. is the leading manufacturer of eyeglass lenses in the United States, employs more than 8,000 people and operates the largest and most comprehensive optical laboratory network in the US Essilor of America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the Varilux®, Crizal®, Transitions®, and other brands, and our products are worn by one billion people daily. Essilor has been on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Innovative Companies every year since 2010, and we ranked #62 out of 700 corporations awarded the title "Diversity Leader 2020" by the Financial Times.

To meet the basic qualification for this role, you will have legal authorization to work permanently in the United States for any employer without requiring a visa transfer or visa sponsorship. In addition, to be a good fit for the Lab Operations Project Manager opportunity, you will have:

• A bachelor's degree. Quick question for you - click here
• 5+ years of experience managing medium to complex projects, preferably in manufacturing, distribution and/or supply chain environments.* Quick question for you - click here
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams.
• Experience in creating project plans. Experience in delivering projects on schedule without exceeding the budget.
• The ability to understand and manage risks.
• PMP or PMI certification, or will consider equal experience.  Quick question for you - click here
• Computer proficiency; experience with Google Docs and Smartsheets is a plus.
• Laboratory Operations experience preferred, ideally involving process management.

Just as important will be the following competencies and characteristics:

• Interpersonal skills and the ability to influence and motivate stakeholders.
• Exceptional verbal, written communication skills.  
• Strong analytical and decision-making abilities.
• A collaborative, team player approach.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to handle detailed work in a fast-paced environment.

This role can be based in Dallas or work remotely. If you work remotely, you must be willing to travel to Dallas as needed (+/- 5%). 

*We will consider candidates with a little less experience, as long as they have all of the other qualifications.
 

Reporting to the Director, Lab Footprint, you will join a team that also includes a Junior Lab Operations Project Manager. You will be responsible for managing complex projects for the Lab Network Services and Operations Teams. Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing assigned projects and providing detailed project tracking by tasks and milestones, as well as tracking project outcomes and processes to ensure that they are repeatable and sustainable in the future.
• Designing project plans that match the overall strategy of the Lab Network Services and Operations Teams.
• Working with other organizations and project team members on dependency items to deliver the project on time. Quick question for you - click here

More specifically, you will:

• Manage medium to complex projects for Essilor Lab Network Services and Operations Team.
• Manage multiple projects at any given time.
• Guide the Business, Lab Services and Operations teams during the entire project duration.
• Work closely with Lab Services, Operations and Commercial teams to make sure the development activities will meet the requirements of the Business.
• Develop and maintain project plans using Microsoft Project professional and/or Excel.
• Manage project teams with varied skill sets, ensuring that deliverables are met by agreed upon timelines.
• Deploy and implement standard processes through use of work instructions and standard operating procedures.
• Proactively identify and resolve project/team-related issues, Work closely with Lab Managers, Operations Directors for ensuring standard processes are put in place and built for repeatability in the future, Work closely with training team to develop training curriculums and training materials. Report on project progress to various management teams.
• Work with other organizations and Project Managers to deliver the project on time.
• Maintain and develop close relationships with EOA team members to ensure consistent communication and smooth pre-launch activities.  Quick question for you - click here
• Communicate and work effectively with the Key Accounts team to escalate any issue affecting project launch delivery when needed.
• Regularly attend and participate in team meetings and joint commercial/customer calls.
• Demonstrate exceptional follow-through on all commitments.
• Escalate unresolved or urgent business issues to ensure proper attention or preempt potential adverse relationships.

This description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Professional development
There will be plenty to learn in this position. We already mentioned Lean manufacturing, and you'll also develop knowledge of lab operations, lens manufacturing systems (LMS), commercial activities and more. You'll interact with contacts in New Accounts, Pricing, Customer Service and at all levels of Operations and Commercial teams.

Great time to join
There is a lot going on right now at Essilor and in this environment, strong performers will have opportunities to stand out. Success in this role could set you up to take on additional responsibilities and advance in our organization.

Valuing differences and encouraging teamwork
We're proud that Essilor leads with inclusion and diversity. Our goal is to create an environment where people love their work, and where all of our employees know they make a real difference through their ingenuity, creativity, and drive. Our employees' commitment encourages teamwork and stimulating professional relationships.

Truly living our values
At Essilor, we believe everyone deserves to see life and all its detail with the best vision possible. That's why, in addition to designing, manufacturing and distributing quality vision care solutions worldwide, we invest in raising awareness of the importance of good vision, support eyecare professionals, invent new technologies and products, and support philanthropic initiatives. We also are committed to robust standards for environmental sustainability. These are just a couple of reasons we were one of the 52 companies named to Fortune magazine's 2019 Change the World list.

Excellent compensation
In addition to competitive compensation and bonus potential, we offer an exceptional mix of first-rate benefits, including medical, dental and vision plans; a 401(k) plan with company match; tuition reimbursement; comprehensive training through Essilor University; lens and frame benefits for you and your family; an employee stock purchase plan with company match; and more.

Video: As part of the #DifferenceMakers campaign, Essilor chose four eyecare professionals and three Essilor employees to participate in a mission trip to Southeast Asia in March 2019.

This is a tactical role and we'll expect you to follow established processes. Those processes are designed to avoid service interruptions for our customers. In addition, the scopes of projects are broad, so in addition to coordinating others, you will need to insert yourself as necessary to perform some tasks. The Lab Operations Project Management team works closely, so you should be comfortable with both working independently and contributing as a team member.

Your project and change management skills will be essential, but just as important will be your interpersonal abilities. You will be a change agent and that will require you to help people see the benefits of and embrace changes. You should take a customer service approach to the groups you support, but you also will need to use influencing skills and be willing to be assertive as necessary.

In addition, in order to be an outstanding Project Manager, you will:

• Manage expectations and establish priorities effectively.
• Combine analytical skills with creativity in solving problems.
• Pay keen attention to detail, and also grasp the bigger picture and how the details fit together.
• Remain flexible and practice strong follow-through habits.
• Leverage strong emotional intelligence.