Position: Director of Program ManagementLocation: Etters, PAAmphenol High Speed Products Group is the market leader for high speed, high bandwidth electrical connectors for the Telecom/Datacom market (Mobile Networks, Storage, Servers, Routers, Switches, etc.). Our products help to enable the electronics revolution and remain a key enabler for all the major Tier 1 OEMs globally. We have design, sales, and manufacturing locations globally and are currently seeking a Director of Program Management to join our Backplane OverPass team located in Etters, PA.
The Backplane OverPass Solutions Business Unit develops high-speed, high-bandwidth interconnect solutions for AI, cloud, networking, server, storage, and data-center platforms. Its portfolio includes advanced connectors, and flyover cable assemblies that move signals off traditional PCB traces to improve signal integrity, reduce loss and heat, and support next-generation system architectures. The business partners globally across engineering, manufacturing, sales, and customers to deliver scalable connectivity solutions for leading technology companies.
SUMMARY:The Director of Program Management is responsible for leading the global program management function for complex new product development initiatives supporting high-speed interconnect solutions. This role provides strategic leadership across a portfolio of highly technical programs, ensuring disciplined execution from concept through NPI and volume production while maintaining strong alignment with engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and commercial teams.
This position serves as a senior leadership role within the organization, acting as the primary escalation point for program execution, customer commitments, and cross-functional alignment. The Director will lead and develop a team of project and program managers while partnering closely with Engineering leadership, Product Line Management, and key customers to deliver innovative, high-performance products on time and at scale.
RESPONSIBILITIES: - Program & Portfolio Leadership
- Lead the program management organization responsible for executing a global portfolio of high-speed product development programs.
- Own end-to-end program execution from concept, development, and validation through NPI and volume production.
- Establish and enforce program management best practices, tools, governance, and execution discipline across the organization.
- Serve as the senior escalation point for program risks, schedule challenges, cost issues, and cross-functional conflicts.
- People & Organizational Leadership
- Recruit, mentor, and develop project and program managers, providing coaching, performance feedback, and career development guidance.
- Allocate resources across programs, balance workload, and ensure appropriate staffing to meet business priorities.
- Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, execution rigor, and continuous improvement.
- Cross-Functional & Technical Alignment
- Partner closely with Engineering leadership to align program execution with technical roadmaps, product architectures, and validation strategies.
- Ensure strong coordination across engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, signal integrity, test), operations, quality, and supply chain.
- Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Test (DFT), and operational readiness throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a senior interface for key customers, communicating program status, schedules, risks, and technical requirements.
- Support customer engagements with hyperscalers, system OEMs, and AI platform providers to ensure alignment on deliverables and timelines.
- Communicate portfolio-level updates to executive leadership and business stakeholders.
- Financial & Operational Execution
- Ensure program financial compliance, including cost modeling, budget tracking, capital requests, and management of scope changes.
- Drive decisions that optimize time-to-market, time-to-volume, and time-to-profitability.
- Oversee capacity planning and readiness to support projected demand and product launches.
- Risk & Continuous Improvement
- Lead structured risk identification, mitigation, and corrective action processes across programs.
- Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of execution, quality, or delivery issues.
- Continuously improve program workflows, tools, and metrics to enhance execution performance.
QUALIFICATIONS: - Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical discipline required; Master's degree preferred.
- 8+ years of experience leading complex new product development programs in high-speed interconnects, data center hardware, electronics, or related technology fields.
- Demonstrated leadership experience managing project or program managers in a matrixed, global environment.
- Strong understanding of product development lifecycles for high-speed electrical and electromechanical products.
- Ability to read and interpret technical drawings, specifications, and engineering documentation.
- Proven experience partnering with engineering teams on technically complex programs.
- Strong customer-facing skills with the ability to manage expectations in fast-paced, high-visibility environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex engineering programs, meet aggressive timelines, and deliver high-quality products.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, especially in customer-facing engagements.
- Experience working with global teams across multiple regions.
- Ability to travel globally to support our program and project management teams and customers.
