Program Manager

Overview

The Operations Program Manager (OPM) for contract manufacturing serves as the primary liaison between a company and its external manufacturing partners, overseeing outsourced production to ensure on-time delivery, cost-effectiveness, quality, and operational excellence.

The OPM manages various aspects of the product lifecycle, from new product introduction (NPI) through mass production and end-of-manufacture:

• Serve as the main, single point of contact between internal cross-functional teams (e.g., engineering, quality, finance, supply chain) and external Contract Manufacturers (CMs).
• Negotiate contracts, manage supplier relationships, and monitor CM performance against key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Develop and manage detailed factory build schedules, milestones, and readiness plans.
• Ensure the factory is ready for production, including operator training, equipment setup, and material availability.
• Drive mitigation efforts to resolve supply gaps, material issues, and production bottlenecks.

• Implement and manage change orders (Engineering Change Orders, Manufacturing Change Orders).
• Lead initiatives for yield improvement, implement corrective actions, and resolve quality excursions.
• Utilize Lean principles and data-driven decision-making to optimize production efficiency and throughput.

• Coordinate manufacturing-related budgets and costs.
• Partner with materials teams to drive continuous cost reductions through process improvements and material savings.
• Manage capital expenditure (Cap Ex) and non-recurring engineering (NRE).