Engineering Operations Program Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Engineering Operations Program Manager

Job Description

The Engineering Operations Program Manager drives the full production ramp of complex capital equipment systems, owning the integrated program plan for schedule, cost, quality, and risk across all sales orders in the ramp portfolio. This role builds and leads cross-functional alignment between engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, production operations, and finance to ensure every ramp milestone is achieved predictably and profitably. The position offers a high-impact, high-visibility opportunity to influence operational strategy at scale and to serve as a key driver of company growth and delivery success.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end production ramp for advanced systems, including Ion Beam Deposition and Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition platforms, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery across every sales order in the ramp portfolio.
• Develop, maintain, and execute an integrated program plan that covers schedule, cost, quality, and risk, and adjust it proactively as new information and constraints emerge.
• Build and maintain a robust risk management framework that identifies schedule, supply, quality, and design risks early, assigns clear ownership, and tracks mitigation actions through closure to prevent issues from reaching the production floor.
• Define and implement early-stage testing and assembly sequences that move component validation and sub-assembly bench testing upstream, reducing overall cycle time and ensuring a steady flow of verified assemblies into the main production line.
• Align engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and supplier quality teams to ensure all incoming components meet defined performance and quality specifications, and drive proactive decisions on obsolescence, design changes, and specification deviations.
• Own the financial performance of the ramp by tracking gross margin, planning capital expenditures, and controlling costs, while presenting budget status, trade-offs, and recommendations to executive leadership on a regular cadence.
• Coordinate closely with production managers and contract manufacturing partners to ensure ramp readiness, including cleanroom capacity, utilities, tooling, staffing plans, training, and standard operating procedures.
• Serve as the single point of accountability for ramp execution, providing regular status updates and clear, concise summaries of schedules, cost forecasts, and risk registers to executive management.
• Travel to contract manufacturer and supplier sites, as needed (up to approximately 30% of the time), to resolve issues firsthand, validate readiness, and reinforce alignment on ramp objectives.
• Drive cross-functional coordination across engineering, quality, supply chain, production, field service, and finance to ensure seamless program execution and rapid issue resolution.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles such as takt time, value stream mapping, line balancing, and flow optimization to complex electromechanical system builds to improve throughput, predictability, and quality.
• Plan and execute production ramps for large-scale capital equipment or systems that include mechanical, electrical, vacuum, and software subsystems, ensuring integration risks are identified and managed.
• Translate complex program data into clear, executive-level communications that enable timely decision-making and reinforce accountability across stakeholders.
• Manage multiple concurrent programs and shifting priorities while maintaining focus on the critical path and key deliverables for each ramp.
• Continuously identify execution gaps and emerging risks, using strong judgment and a “sixth sense” for operations to drive preemptive corrective actions rather than reactive firefighting.

Essential Skills

• 10–15+ years of experience in engineering operations, manufacturing, program management, or a closely related field (with flexibility based on overall fit and impact).
• Strong technical manufacturing experience with the ability to understand engineering concepts for complex electromechanical systems, even if not performing hands-on design work.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership roles with broad scope, leading programs or operations rather than working solely as an individual contributor.
• Deep familiarity with lean manufacturing principles, including takt time, value stream mapping, line balancing, and flow optimization, specifically applied to complex electromechanical system builds.
• Proven experience managing programs that require coordination across engineering, quality, supply chain, production, field service, and finance functions.
• Demonstrated ability to assess, quantify, and manage operational risk across design, supply chain, and quality dimensions, with a track record of preemptive problem resolution.
• Strong skills in translating complex program data—such as detailed schedules, cost forecasts, and risk registers—into clear, concise executive-level summaries.
• Experience planning and executing production ramps for large-scale capital equipment or systems incorporating mechanical, electrical, vacuum, and software subsystems.
• Proficiency with project planning and reporting tools, including Microsoft Project, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Comfort working across organizational boundaries and building trust with engineering leaders, supply chain managers, contract manufacturers, and field service teams.
• Ability to navigate shifting priorities across multiple concurrent programs while maintaining focus on critical-path activities and key deliverables.
• Proven ability to manage large-scale operations or programs with significant complexity and cross-functional dependencies.
• Strong judgment and an intuitive sense for risk and execution gaps, enabling early detection and mitigation of issues.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, or a related technical field.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in engineering, program management, risk mitigation, and execution planning within a manufacturing or production environment.
• Experience in order tracking, materials management, and bill of materials (BOM) management in support of complex system builds.
• Direct exposure to manufacturing, manufacturing engineering, and production operations, with practical understanding of factory workflows and constraints.
• Experience working within supply chain and procurement functions, including collaboration with suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Familiarity with enterprise resource planning systems such as SAP or similar tools used in production operations and supply chain management.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders around shared ramp objectives.
• Comfort presenting to and engaging with executive leadership on program status, risks, and financial performance.
• Motivation to operate in a high-impact, high-visibility role and to lead major production ramps across multiple phases.
• Desire to influence cross-functional operations at scale and to serve as a key driver of company growth and delivery success.

This is a Permanent position based out of Somerset, NJ.

The pay range for this position is $155000.00 - $200000.00/yr.

Medical, Dental, and Vision Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) 401(k) with Company Match Holiday, Vacation, and Sick Time Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Commuter Benefits Life and Accident Insurance Disability Insurance Tuition Reimbursement Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Identity Theft Remediation Emergency Travel Assistance

This is a fully onsite position in Somerset,NJ.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 20, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.