Engineering Program Manager, XRX

Description

The company has been in business for more than 179 years and works as a pioneer in science, adapting to changing conditions with cutting-edge technology. It sees innovation as the path to a sustainable future and to solutions for global change.

Its segments are Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. The company employs more than 42,000 people worldwide, including over 4,000 in the US and Canada.

The XRX role supports the business target by delivering a strong technical solution for one of the company's key US accounts. The work covers next-generation wearable vision technology, where optical performance and user experience are critical. The program offers real strategic visibility and works alongside experienced engineers and manufacturing specialists, with a path to grow as a technical project leader.

Responsibilities

• Lead full project management for advanced spectacle lens development, from concept through industrialization.
• Run complex, multi-year new product and technology programs with high technical uncertainty, repeated development loops and strict industrialization readiness criteria, keeping planning, execution and control disciplined in every phase.
• Decide sequencing, prioritization and phase transitions within set governance frameworks, working inside corporate product development processes, quality systems and applicable regulatory and safety guidelines.
• Own integrated delivery outcomes. Share milestone approval and investment decisions with functional leaders, and escalate strategic trade-offs to your supervisor when needed.
• Turn demanding and changing customer requirements, covering optical performance, manufacturability, cost targets and regulatory factors, into measurable objectives and clear plans with milestones and deliverables.
• Set project plans in line with internal development standards, formal change management rules and contractual or customer commitments.
• Propose requirement priorities and technical scope with technical experts. Senior management gives final approval on commercial or contract interpretations.
• Serve as the central link between R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory and supply chain teams on new product developments.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across disciplines, sites and maturity levels, resolving interdependencies that affect feasibility, industrial scalability and time-to-market.
• Use established governance models, escalation paths and documentation standards to align functions while respecting functional ownership, regulatory duties and quality system requirements.
• Decide daily cross-functional alignment and sequencing. Make resource and strategic priority decisions jointly with functional leaders.
• Manage scope, timelines, risks and dependencies proactively in a fast-moving environment. Anticipate technical, operational and supply chain risks where data is incomplete, development runs in parallel and timelines are tight, and plan mitigation early.
• Control scope, schedule and dependencies through formal risk reviews, scenario analyses and structured decision forums that follow corporate project management standards.
• Decide corrective actions within the approved project frame. Escalate major scope or timeline changes to your supervisor.
• Keep internal teams and external stakeholders informed through structured, regular, decision-focused communication that turns complex technical content into clear, actionable information.
• Follow confidentiality rules, regulatory disclosure requirements and internal reporting standards in all communication. Set cadence, content and escalation level yourself, while strategic messages to key customers or executives are aligned with senior leadership.
• Spot technical, organizational and execution issues early by watching project signals, trade-offs and cross-functional interfaces. Escalate critical issues promptly with fact-based options and impact assessments.
• Guide teams toward robust, pragmatic solutions. Make high-impact trade-off decisions jointly with management.
• Keep project execution aligned with performance, cost and quality targets while meeting ambitious timelines, in high-ambition, cost-sensitive development.
• Track target achievement through structured reviews, KPIs and deviation analyses in line with corporate controlling, quality and audit requirements. Decide optimization measures within the approved framework, and escalate deviations with financial or strategic impact to your supervisor.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 years of experience.
• Proven record managing complex technical development projects, ideally in optics, medical devices, consumer electronics or similar high-precision industries with direct customer contact.
• Ability to structure ambiguous situations and turn changing requirements into actionable plans.
• Strong stakeholder management, including confidence working with demanding, detail-oriented customers.
• Natural leadership: you align teams without formal authority and maintain momentum under pressure.
• Clear, concise communication that balances technical depth with executive-level clarity.
• Resilient, pragmatic and solution-oriented, comfortable handling conflict and high expectations.
• Solid understanding of product development, product lifecycles and cross-functional collaboration.

Conditions

Travel nationally and internationally, estimated at about 25% of the time.

Annual pay range: $135,300 to $169,100.

Pay may depend on job location, scope of role, qualifications, education, experience and the complexity, specialization or scarcity of the required talent.

The company provides equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, citizen status, sexual orientation, gender identity and other legally protected characteristics.

Benefits

• Eligible for a performance bonus.
• Medical, vision and dental coverage.
• 401(k) with company matching.
• Employee assistance programs.
• Vacation and sick pay.