Program Manager

Role : Program Manager – Made-to-Order Ring Program

Location : onsite 3 days a week in Whippany, NJ required

Duration : 6+ months

Interview : Video

Must-have qualifications

• Make-to-order / build-to-order experience (top priority). Has run or designed a configure-to-order or personalization model, not just make-to-stock.
• Luxury or high-value product background. Jewelry or watches are ideal. Other relevant backgrounds include luxury goods or products with high unit value and serialized components.
• 10+ years leading cross-functional programs, with much of that time in manufacturing, retail, or luxury.
• Multi-year, multi-system programs spanning several departments, with reporting to a steering committee.
• Supply chain and manufacturing knowledge: pull-based planning and DDMRP, critical inventory control, lead times and service levels, and international shipping of high-value goods.

A global luxury jewelry brand is moving part of its engagement ring line from stocked inventory to a made-to-order model. Customers will choose the setting, stone, metal, and size, and each ring will be built to order at the company's U.S. manufacturing facility.

• Cross-functional and high visibility: spans Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Retail, Product, Legal, Finance, and IT.
• Where it stands: the business process map is underway. Next come detailed requirements and the first program timeline.
• Why this role is needed: to keep requirements aligned across a large team and to build a realistic timeline across many systems, workflows, and IT teams.

Key responsibilities

1. Own the program plan and timeline. Build the preliminary timeline the steering committee is waiting for, then hold it through go-live.
2. Run governance. Lead 7 working groups, present to the Project Committee, maintain the decision log, and secure decision sign-off every two weeks.
3. Drive requirements. Complete the end-to-end business process map, then lead detailed business requirements that IT can build from.
4. Align business and IT. Ensure every stage has a named business owner, IT owner, and system plan.
5. Manage risks and escalations. Track risks and dependencies, and escalate decisions when working groups can't resolve them.
6. Coordinate key decisions across:

• Diamond supply: stone storage, reservation, and tariff impacts
• Manufacturing: agile production line setup and DDMRP planning
• Retail: the in-store selling journey and sales associate (client advisor) tools
• Product: styles, SKUs, master data, and pricing
• Legal and compliance: returns policy and international shipping

1. Serve as the single point of contact for leadership and operating teams.

Must-have qualifications

• Make-to-order / build-to-order experience (top priority). Has run or designed a configure-to-order or personalization model, not just make-to-stock.
• Luxury or high-value product background. Jewelry or watches are ideal. Other relevant backgrounds include luxury goods or products with high unit value and serialized components.
• 10+ years leading cross-functional programs, with much of that time in manufacturing, retail, or luxury.
• Multi-year, multi-system programs spanning several departments, with reporting to a steering committee.
• Supply chain and manufacturing knowledge: pull-based planning and DDMRP, critical inventory control, lead times and service levels, and international shipping of high-value goods.
• Hands-on requirements and process work. Can run workshops, map business processes, and write requirements developers can build from.
• Systems fluency across ERP, warehouse, planning, and retail selling tools. Works comfortably with IT on integrations.
• Consulting presence. Leads through influence without direct authority and is credible with executives from day one, as there is no ramp-up time.
• Clear communicator with experience working with stakeholders across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Nice to have

• Retail rollout and change management across a store network, including training and phased launches
• Product master data, bills of material, and SKU and pricing setup
• Returns policy and compliance work across countries, including EU regulations
• PMP or another program management certification (not required)