CAPEX Program Manager, Manufacturing Operations

Job Description

Job Description

About LAPP

Since 1959, LAPP has been family-owned and headquartered in Stuttgart. Today, our 5,800 colleagues serve customers in 80+ countries, connecting the world through leading cable and connectivity solutions. We blend inventive spirit with cherished values, giving our teams the freedom to grow, take ownership, and enjoy a family-friendly, flexible workplace where every perspective is valued.

Your day-to-day

Start your morning refining a capital project charter and aligning timelines with Engineering and Maintenance. By midday, you’re on the plant floor walking a future equipment installation with a supplier, verifying utilities and layout. In the afternoon, you finalize a shutdown plan that keeps production moving, present cost/benefit updates to Finance, and close the day by risk-checking a contractor’s safety plan. You’re the hub that keeps expansion, upgrades, and turnarounds on track—safely, on schedule, and on budget.

What you’ll own

• End-to-end CAPEX delivery: from feasibility and scope through budgeting, execution, installation, and commissioning.
• Creation of project charters, schedules, cost estimates, and risk mitigation plans.
• Equipment lifecycle decisions with ROI analysis for repair vs. replace; procurement and integration of new machinery, automation, and process tech.
• Facility expansion and layout optimization: structural changes, utilities upgrades, and material flow improvements in partnership with architects, contractors, and internal teams.
• Major maintenance and turnarounds: plan and execute shutdowns/overhauls with thorough scheduling and contingency planning to minimize disruption.
• Vendor and contractor management: source, evaluate, and govern performance; ensure compliance with company standards, safety requirements, and local building codes.
• Continuous improvement using Lean/Six Sigma methods to increase throughput, reliability, and waste reduction.
• Risk management: identify structural, schedule, and supply-chain risks; lead contingency planning and coordinate emergency repairs to protect operations.

What you bring

• Bachelor’s in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven success managing capital projects exceeding $500,000.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or comparable design tools.
• Experience with project management software (e.g., MS Project, Primavera, or equivalent).
• Strong grasp of project financials: capital justification, P&L impact, and cost variance tracking.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, strong work ethic, and a positive, respectful approach aligned with our values.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams across Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and Finance; strong negotiation and vendor management capabilities.
• Commitment to safety and adherence to OSHA guidelines; quality-focused, accountable, and productivity-minded.
• Language: Able to read/interpret electrical and mechanical drawings; confident presenting to customers or internal groups; proficiency in spoken and written English required.
• Math: Comfortable with arithmetic across units (whole numbers, fractions, decimals).
• Reasoning: Skilled at solving practical problems with limited standardization; can interpret written, oral, diagrammatic, or scheduled instructions.
• Computer skills: AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Primavera, Microsoft 365, Teams, and OneDrive.

Additional details

• Supervisory responsibilities: None.
• Certifications/Licenses/Registrations: n/a.
• Travel requirements: n/a.

Compensation & benefits

After thorough market analysis, LAPP takes many factors into consideration when determining base salary such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, etc. of the candidate. The base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $130,000 plus participation in LAPP's bonus plan. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Vision, Dental, Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays, 401(k), HSA/FSA, Life Insurance, and more!

Legal and workplace information

**WORK ENVIRONMENT: **The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee must be able to tolerate conditions associated with no air conditioning or heat.

**PHYSICAL DEMANDS: **The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

*LAPP is an Equal Opportunity Employer*