Principal Program Manager, Auto & Industrial

Description

The company runs a digital marketplace that connects manufacturers with buyers, including teams at Fortune 1000 firms, so they can use global manufacturing capacity.

This role owns a portfolio of the most complex, highest-value production programs, often several running at once at $5M or more each. It covers the work from award through launch and into ongoing supply.

You are the main contact for the customer and lead the internal and partner teams that deliver each program, answerable for quality, delivery, and financial results.

You also improve how the company runs programs overall. You set the practice standard, drive changes that let the portfolio grow, and mentor other program managers.

This role reports to the Director, Strategic Program Operations.

Responsibilities

• Run several large production programs at once, often $5M or more each, from opportunity and award through first article, launch, and repeat production.
• Build detailed program plans that satisfy customer and internal requirements for scope, schedule, quality, and cost.
• Deliver programs using the company's Product Development Process, aligned with APQP.
• Manage program budgets and finances, including tooling, capital, and margin, and take action to hit financial targets.
• Track launch and production metrics: timeline adherence, on-time delivery, quality, customer experience, and program financials.
• Act as the primary contact for customer program, engineering, quality, and procurement teams.
• Lead cross-functional teams from Sales, Field Deployed Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain Planning, and the Partner Network.
• Hold manufacturing partners to their commitments and work through capacity, schedule, and quality problems with them.
• Balance resources, partner capacity, and dependencies across concurrent programs. Spot risks early, escalate when needed, and lead recovery across customer, partner, and internal teams.
• Present program status in regular reviews with customers and internal leaders.
• Look for chances to grow programs within existing accounts and pass them to Sales and Account Management.
• Lead cross-functional operational projects that make programs more efficient, scalable, and repeatable.
• Define and track program KPIs, and use the data to find and drive improvements.
• Apply Lean methods and operational best practices to program workflows, and look for automation and process gains.
• Write and maintain program management standards, templates, and playbooks for the team.
• Work with Product and Engineering to improve the tools and systems that support program execution.
• Coach program managers on launch planning, customer management, financial management, and structured problem solving.
• Handle escalations for difficult issues across the portfolio.
• Help onboard new program managers and take part in hiring.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in engineering, business, operations, supply chain, or a related field.
• 12+ years of program or project management, including leading production programs in manufacturing.
• Experience across processes such as CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal, stamping, die casting, or extrusion.
• A record of running several complex programs at once, often $5M or more each, from award through launch and into repeat production.
• Working knowledge of APQP and related quality planning practices.
• Experience managing program budgets, timelines, scope, and financial results.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing supplier or contract manufacturer performance.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and facilitation skills in technical and manufacturing settings.
• Strong written and verbal communication, including presenting to executives.
• Hands-on and accountable, willing to go into the details to keep a program on track.
• Credible with a customer's program director and a partner's plant manager.
• Structured and data-driven, acting on program signals before they become escalations.
• Customer focused, with clear and proactive communication.
• Builds processes and standards that others can follow.
• Comfortable working alone and on a team in a fast-paced setting.

Conditions

Remote or hybrid, with the work location set by the team.

About 25% travel to customer and partner facilities.

You must be ITAR eligible: a U.S. person under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 C.F.R. § 120.62), such as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, or person granted asylum or refugee status. The role requires access to export-controlled information.

Preferred: 5+ years of military experience, for example in program management, acquisition, logistics, or operations.

Preferred: PMP certification.

Preferred: Lean or Six Sigma certification.

Preferred: experience in automotive, aerospace, defense, or industrial manufacturing.

Preferred: experience with PPAP, AS9102 first article inspection, or other customer launch requirements.

Preferred: familiarity with ERP systems, Salesforce, BI tools such as Tableau or Looker, and project management tools such as Smartsheet, Jira, Asana, or Microsoft Project.

Preferred: experience in a high-mix contract manufacturing or manufacturing marketplace environment.

The estimated base salary for new hires is $116,000-$143,000 per year, plus an annual bonus. Final pay depends on job-related skills, relevant experience, and location.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Benefits

• 401(k) match.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, floating and fixed holidays, and maternity and bonding leave.
• Employee assistance program and other wellbeing resources.
• Further benefits beyond those listed.