Senior Manager Strategic Customer Projects (m/f/x)

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH; Oberkochen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH in Germany seeks a senior program manager to oversee complex customer-related programs, including product ramp-ups, launches, transfers and productivity initiatives.

You will lead cross-functional initiatives across ZEISS SBU and the Shared Production Unit, align stakeholders, structure workstreams, and deliver on-time, on-budget, high-quality results. Strong analytical and leadership skills, plus a technical background, are essential.

Qualifications

• University degree in engineering, physics, optics, natural sciences, business.
• Several years of relevant experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, transformation, program/project management, operations, or customer-facing roles.
• Proven track record of leading complex cross-functional initiatives in ramp-ups, industrialization, production transfers, launches, or operational improvement.
• Strong analytical and problem-structuring skills; turn ambiguity into actionable recommendations, decisions, and executable plans.
• Lateral leadership: align across boundaries, engage stakeholders, drive implementation without direct authority.
• High ownership, resilience and results orientation; manufacturing/Lean background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end responsibility for complex customer-related programs – including product ramp-ups, new product launches, production transfers and productivity initiatives.
• Align senior stakeholders, drive decisions and deliver measurable business outcomes in a complex production environment.
• Identify, scope, structure and lead strategic and operational projects with ZEISS SBUs, external customers and Shared Production Unit team.
• Structure complex challenges into clear workstreams, decision points and actionable project plans.
• Take ownership for successful end-to-end project delivery and represent projects credibly towards internal and external customers.
• Manage projects to ensure on-time, on-budget and high-quality delivery with measurable business impact.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and implementation across functions, sites and hierarchical levels, including without direct reporting authority.
• Provide pragmatic, solution-oriented input to identify best solutions in a multi-stakeholder environment and challenge established ways.
• Communicate progress, risks, decisions and escalations clearly to all stakeholders and senior management.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical skills

Problem-structuring

Stakeholder management

Ownership & resilience

Education

Engineering/Physics/Optics/Science/Business degree

Job description

Your Role

• You will take end-to-end responsibility for complex customer-related programs – including product ramp-ups, new product launches, production transfers and productivity initiatives – and translate customer requirements into robust operational execution.
• Working across functions and organizational boundaries, you will align senior stakeholders, drive decisions and deliver measurable business outcomes in a complex production environment.
• Identify, scope, structure and lead strategic and operational projects with ZEISS Strategic Business Units, external customers and the Shared Production Unit team.
• Structure complex challenges into clear workstreams, decision points and actionable project plans.
• Take ownership for successful end-to-end project delivery and represent projects credibly towards internal and external customers.
• Manage projects to ensure on-time, on-budget and high-quality delivery with measurable business impact.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and implementation across functions, sites and hierarchical levels, including in situations without direct reporting authority.
• Bring a pragmatic, solution-oriented perspective to identify the best solutions in a complex multi-stakeholder environment and challenge established ways of working constructively.
• Communicate progress, risks, decisions and required escalations clearly to all stakeholders and senior management.

Your Profile

• University degree in engineering, physics, optics, natural sciences, business, or a comparable field, with a strong academic record.
• Several years of relevant experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, transformation, program/project management, operations, or customer-facing roles.
• Proven track record of leading complex, high-impact cross-functional initiatives, ideally in product ramp-ups, industrialization, production transfers, launches, or operational improvement.
• Strong analytical and problem-structuring skills, with the ability to turn ambiguous challenges into clear recommendations, decisions, and executable plans.
• Demonstrated lateral leadership: able to create alignment across organizational boundaries, engage stakeholders from shopfloor to senior management, and drive implementation without direct authority.
• High ownership, resilience, and results orientation; experience in manufacturing, Operational Excellence or Lean is strongly preferred, while a technical background in physics, optics, or engineering is an advantage.

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team: Norman Funk Step out of your comfort zone, excel and redefine the limits of what is possible. That’s just what our employees are doing every single day – in order to set the pace through our innovations and enable outstanding achievements. After all, behind every successful company are many great fascinating people. In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long-term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together. Join us today. Inspire people tomorrow. Diversity is a part of ZEISS. We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.