Project Manager

Project Manager

IPG Photonics is revolutionizing the laser industry as the pioneering developer and leading producer of fiber lasers and amplifiers. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA, IPG has over 4,800 employees in more than 30 locations around the world. We aspire to work together with our employees and customers to apply light in ways that improve life.

Our mission is to develop innovative laser solutions to make the world a better place. To accomplish this mission, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent and an engaged and thriving workforce that drives a sustainable future for our company and society.

Working at IPG Photonics you can expect challenging projects, a motivating and friendly environment, and working hand-in-hand with skilled teams of software and hardware engineers.

Job Summary

The Project Manager leads cross-functional business-improvement projects for the Global Components business - first and foremost the company-wide ERP/PLM improvement program (master data, part- and document-numbering conventions, engineering change management and document control) - and program-manages subsequent Components and PMO projects. The role is responsible for end-to-end planning, coordination, execution control, and progress tracking across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, and other key functions at our US and German sites.

The Project Manager ensures alignment of scope, schedule, resources, quality, and risks, while maintaining structured documentation and providing clear communication to stakeholders. The position plays a critical role in establishing standardized project-management and engineering-change processes and in securing smooth transition of project deliverables into operational use and long-term ownership

Knowledge and Skills

• Project Management (project planning, execution, scheduling, stakeholder management, risk management, reporting and project coordination).
• Knowledge of engineering/manufacturing processes and technical documentation.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and project management tools (e.g., MS Project, ERP systems, collaboration platforms).
• Ability to interpret technical documentation, electrical schematics, PCB diagrams, and system interconnection drawings.
• Experience with PLM and ERP systems, including master data management, BOM structures, and part- and document-numbering conventions.
• Part attribute/classification and catalog management, enabling attribute-based part search to prevent duplicate part creation.
• Engineering/product change management (ECO/DCO) and document control processes (creation, revision, release, approval and change notification).
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams across multiple international sites (US and Germany).
• Strong communication, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Self-motivated, proactive, able to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure

Description of Tasks

• Lead and coordinate the cross-functional ERP/PLM improvement project from charter through implementation, and program-manage subsequent component and PMO projects.
• Support implementation of business improvement, digitalization, and organizational change initiatives.
• Drive definition of company-wide design documentation standards (required content, format, storage and change process) across mechanical, optical, electronic and system parts.
• Establish and govern part-numbering and document-numbering conventions and the part attribute tree / parts catalog enabling attribute-based search to avoid duplicate part creation.
• Define and roll out the engineering change-management process across NPI and production, including approver, reviewer and informer lists and DocuSign-based gate sign-off.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, and budgets.
• Coordinate collaboration between Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, IT, Document Control, Compliance, Operations and other functions across the US and German sites.
• Monitor project progress, milestones, and deliverables, ensuring timely execution.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks; manage project changes and dependencies.
• Maintain project documentation and prepare status reports and presentations for stakeholders and management.
• Ensure successful transition of project deliverables into operational use and long-term ownership.

• 3–5+ years of project management experience in a technical, engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering cross-functional projects.
• Experience in engineering-driven or high-technology product environments.
• Hands-on experience with ERP and/or PLM implementation, migration or improvement initiatives (master data, part and document data structures).
• Experience defining or standardizing part-numbering and document-numbering conventions, engineering change control (ECO/DCO) and document control processes is a strong advantage.
• Experience coordinating global, multi-site teams across the US and Europe (Germany).

Education/Qualification

• University degree in technical field.
• Additional qualifications in project management is preferred (PMP, PRINCE2, IPMA, Agile/Scrum certifications or equivalent project management training)