Job Description
We are looking for a Project Manager - Mergers & Acquisition to lead operational process discovery and implementation planning for newly acquired manufacturing businesses in Illinois. This contract position is ideal for a hands-on individual who can translate complex cross-functional workflows into clear documentation, align stakeholders across the organization, and drive projects from assessment through go-live. The role begins with a strong onsite presence and evolves into a flexible travel-based model supporting acquisition activity across the country.
Responsibilities:
• Lead end-to-end business process mapping across manufacturing, operations, IT, supply chain, finance, customer order management, inventory, and related functions impacted by acquisition integration efforts.
• Create detailed current-state and future-state workflow documentation, including swim lane diagrams and cross-functional process views that support implementation readiness.
• Partner with local site teams and enterprise stakeholders to gather operational details, clarify dependencies, and keep project milestones moving forward.
• Coordinate working sessions, status meetings, and follow-up activities between site leadership and broader integration teams to maintain momentum on action plans.
• Investigate open items at the site level, resolve information gaps, and support execution of functional workstreams when additional hands-on assistance is needed.
• Build strong working relationships with team members ranging from shop floor personnel to senior leaders to encourage collaboration and trust throughout the project lifecycle.
• Guide initiatives from initial assessment through implementation and go-live, ensuring process documentation supports successful operational adoption.
• Support ERP-related readiness activities for acquired businesses by documenting processes that inform system transition planning and process standardization.
• Contribute to future acquisition projects by taking ownership of workstreams that support broader merger and acquisition integration objectives.• Proven experience leading business process mapping efforts within a manufacturing environment and carrying projects through completion.
• Background supporting acquisition-related integration work, including coordination across multiple business functions and stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of operational workflows spanning manufacturing, finance, IT, and supply chain.
• Hands-on approach with the ability to personally document processes, analyze workflows, and drive deliverables independently.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the confidence to work effectively at all organizational levels.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively, including a highly onsite initial phase followed by ongoing travel to acquisition locations nationwide.
• Experience with ERP implementation or migration preparation in a manufacturing setting.
• Familiarity with assembly or light manufacturing operations, QuickBooks environments, or Global Shop is a plus.
