The Project Manager is responsible for managing end-to-end Business Management System (BMS) deliverables for an assigned Business Unit (BU) portfolio, covering both Industrial Design (ID) and UX/UI Design programs, from project kick-off through product launch and post-ship support.
This role operates with moderate autonomy, managing multiple design programs in parallel and partnering closely with Industrial Design, UX/UI Design, HW/SW Engineering, Product Management, Business Units, and leadership stakeholders across China and the United States.
The position focuses on integrated design program execution, portfolio coordination, cross-functional collaboration, and cross-regional stakeholder alignment, ensuring both physical product design and digital user experience development are delivered according to business priorities and project milestones rather than performing hands-on design work.
Key Job Responsibilities
Integrated Design Project & Portfolio Management
- Own and manage the full BMS lifecycle for assigned Industrial Design and UX/UI Design programs within a BU portfolio.
- Develop and maintain integrated project plans, schedules, milestones, dependencies, and resource visibility across multiple design programs.
- Coordinate project timelines across Industrial Design, UX/UI Design, HW/SW Engineering, Product Management, and other cross-functional teams.
- Track and report project scope, schedule, risks, dependencies, and delivery status to ensure alignment with business commitments.
- Drive execution across multiple concurrent projects while balancing competing priorities and resource constraints.
Cross-Functional & Cross-Regional Collaboration
- Partner closely with Industrial Design, UX/UI Design, HW/SW Engineering, Product Management and Business Units located in China and the United States.
- Facilitate collaboration between physical product design and digital experience teams to ensure aligned product development milestones.
- Coordinate work across global time zones, ensuring clear ownership, communication, decision-making, and project handoffs.
- Support effective collaboration by aligning expectations, schedules, deliverables, and design review milestones across regional teams.
Stakeholder & Leadership Communication
- Serve as the operational point of contact for assigned BU design programs.
- Prepare and communicate project status updates, portfolio dashboards, milestone tracking, risk assessments, and escalation summaries.
- Support leadership reviews by providing accurate project metrics, execution insights, recommended actions, and decision-making support.
- Facilitate design program reviews and cross-functional meetings to ensure timely issue resolution and alignment.
Program Planning, Negotiation & Issue Resolution
- Negotiate project scope, priorities, schedules, and resource allocation across multiple design disciplines.
- Identify project risks, dependencies, and execution gaps; drive mitigation plans with cross-functional partners.
- Balance business priorities, design quality, technical feasibility, and schedule commitments while supporting informed decision-making.
- Apply critical thinking and structured problem-solving to resolve project challenges and remove execution roadblocks.
Tools, Process & Documentation
- Maintain accurate project plans, documentation, dashboards, and portfolio data using SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365, and other approved project management tools.
- Ensure BMS documentation for both Industrial Design and UX/UI Design programs is complete, accurate, and compliant with Lenovo standards.
- Support continuous improvement of design project management processes, portfolio governance, and cross-functional execution practices.
- Promote consistent project management methodologies across Industrial Design and UX/UI teams.
Launch & Post-Launch Support
- Support product launch readiness by coordinating final design deliverables, approvals, and project handoffs.
- Participate in post-launch reviews, retrospective activities, and lessons learned to improve future project execution.
- Track follow-up actions and support continuous improvement initiatives across design organizations.
Job Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
- Minimum 5 years of experience managing cross-functional projects or programs in product development, design, or technology environments.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams, preferably across Industrial Design and/or UX/UI Design organizations.
- Strong project management, organizational, and stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
- Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and risk management capabilities.
- Fluent in English (written and verbal).
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools, including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, and project management applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting both hardware product development and digital product or software development projects.
- Familiarity with Industrial Design, UX/UI Design, Product Management, or Engineering organizations.
- Experience working with Agile, Scrum, Design Thinking, or other structured product development methodologies.
- Experience managing global design programs across China and the United States.
- Familiarity with structured delivery frameworks and portfolio management processes.
