Job Title: Operations Program Manager, Senior Staff

Department: Operations / Supply Chain

Reports To: Director, Partners and Supplier Management

Location: Santa Clara, CA / On-site at contract manufacturer (CM) sites as needed

Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt

Travel: Domestic and international travel required (up to 30%)

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Operations Program Manager (MFG OPM) is responsible for driving end-to-end manufacturing readiness and execution for new and sustaining hardware products. The MFG OPM serves as the primary operations interface between Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Contract Manufacturers (CMs), ensuring that products are launched on time, at target cost, and at the required quality level.

This role owns the manufacturing program from early development through New Product Introduction (NPI) builds (EVT, DVT, PVT) into Mass Production (MP), and is accountable for capacity planning, yield improvement, ramp execution, and operational continuity throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Program & NPI Management
• Lead cross-functional manufacturing programs from concept through end-of-life, owning schedule, scope, cost, and risk.
• Drive build planning and execution for EVT, DVT, PVT, and MP phases at contract manufacturer sites.
• Define and track exit criteria for each NPI phase, including yield, cycle time, FPY, and quality gates.
• Maintain integrated program schedules and identify critical path dependencies across hardware, firmware, tooling, and supply readiness.

Manufacturing Readiness & Execution
• Own the Manufacturing Readiness Plan (MRP), including process flow, station design, fixture and tooling readiness, test coverage, and operator training.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to validate process capability (Cpk), drive DFM/DFA feedback into Engineering, and qualify production lines.
• Lead production ramp, monitor key KPIs (yield, throughput, RTY, scrap, WIP), and drive corrective actions when targets are missed.
• Coordinate ECO/ECN implementation at the factory and ensure clean cut-in with minimal disruption to output.

Supply Chain & Capacity
• Partner with Commodity Managers and Planning to align material availability, lead times, and clear-to-build status with build plans.
• Drive capacity assessments and ensure CM line, equipment, and labor capacity meet forecasted demand.
• Identify supply risks early, develop mitigation plans, and escalate constraints to leadership with clear options and recommendations.

Quality & Continuous Improvement
• Partner with Quality to drive failure analysis, 8D problem solving, and closed-loop corrective actions on field and factory issues.
• Lead yield improvement initiatives and cost-down projects across the product lifecycle.
• Champion continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma practices on the production floor.

Stakeholder & CM Management
• Serve as the primary day-to-day operational point of contact with contract manufacturers and key suppliers.
• Run regular program reviews, daily build huddles during NPI and ramp, and executive readouts on program health.
• Translate complex manufacturing data and risks into clear, actionable communication for engineering, operations, and executive audiences.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, NPI, or operations program management for high-volume consumer electronics, medical devices, automotive, or similar hardware products.
• Demonstrated experience taking products through full NPI cycle (EVT/DVT/PVT) and ramping to mass production.
• Strong working knowledge of manufacturing processes such as SMT, PCBA, plastics/metals fabrication, mechanical assembly, and final test.
• Hands-on experience working with contract manufacturers, ODMs, and tier-1 suppliers, including in Asia.
• Proficiency interpreting engineering drawings, BOMs, AVL, ECOs, and test data.
• Excellent program management skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities under tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable with statistical tools, yield analysis, and data-driven decision making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 30%), including extended stays at CM sites during critical builds.

Preferred Qualifications
• Master's degree in Engineering, Operations, or MBA.
• PMP, Lean, Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, or equivalent certification.
• Direct experience managing builds at CMs in Asia (e.g., China, Vietnam, Mexico).
• Experience with ERP/PLM systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Agile, Arena, Windchill) and data tools (SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Jira).
• Working proficiency in Mandarin or another regional language is a plus.

Key Skills & Competencies
• Ownership and bias for action in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Strong technical judgment with the ability to push back constructively on engineering and supplier decisions.
• Cross-functional leadership without direct authority.
• Risk identification, escalation, and mitigation.
• Customer- and quality-first mindset.