Senior Project Manager (m/w/d)

MKS Instruments, Inc.; Feucht; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

MKS Instruments, a global leader in semiconductor technologies, seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead large-scale capital equipment projects valued at €25M+ from contract handover to customer acceptance.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, software, and customer organizations, with extensive travel including Asia (Japan). Agile methodologies will guide planning, execution, and governance to ensure on-time delivery and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, PM, or related field.
• Extensive PM experience on large global capital equipment projects.
• Experience with Agile/ Scrum and hybrid delivery methods.
• Experience collaborating with customers, suppliers, and teams across Asia (Japan).
• Willingness to travel internationally (≈30–50%).

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic capital equipment projects with full scope, schedule, budget, and quality accountability.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, software, and service.
• Apply Agile/Scrum to complex engineering workstreams and drive milestones with transparency.
• Manage customer expectations, negotiations, claims, and change discussions.
• Identify risks, develop contingency plans, and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead global project execution across Europe, North America, and Asia.

Skills

Project leadership

Agile / Scrum

Stakeholder management

Cross-cultural collaboration

Travel readiness

Leadership & decision-making

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Engineering/PM or related field

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

As a Senior Project Manager, you will lead the execution of large-scale industrial equipment projects valued at €25M+, managing the full project lifecycle from contract handover to customer acceptance. You will coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, software, and customer organizations, ensuring successful delivery in a global environment. The role requires strong project management and Agile expertise, as well as close collaboration with customers and partners in Asia, particularly Japan, including extended travel during key project phases.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Project Leadership and Execution Lead strategic capital equipment projects valued at €25M+, with full accountability for scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk management, customer satisfaction, project governance, execution planning, change management, and contractual compliance.
• Cross Functional Leadership Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams across engineering, software, manufacturing, supply chain, service, and customer organizations, ensuring stakeholder alignment, effective collaboration, and timely decision-making across global locations.
• Agile Project Management Apply Agile and Scrum methodologies to complex engineering and product development workstreams. Facilitate Agile planning and execution activities, drive transparency through metrics and dashboards, and balance Agile development practices with milestone-driven project delivery.
• Customer and Commercial Management Serve as the primary customer escalation point, building strong relationships with customers, partners, and suppliers while managing expectations, contract negotiations, claims, and change-order discussions.
• Risk and Opportunity Management Identify and mitigate project risks, develop contingency and recovery plans, and drive continuous improvement through structured lessons learned.
• International Collaboration Lead global projects across Europe, North America, and Asia, fostering effective cross-cultural collaboration and supporting localization and customer-specific requirements.

Skills You Bring:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or a related technical field.
• High project/program management experience in industrial equipment, automation, manufacturing, or related industries, with a proven track record of delivering complex global projects.
• Experience applying Agile, Scrum, and hybrid delivery methodologies in complex engineering environments; Agile certifications and SAFe experience are an advantage.
• Experience working with customers, suppliers, and project teams across Asia, particularly Japan, with knowledge of regional business practices and cultures.
• Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 30-50%) and spend extended periods in Asia during critical project phases.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, problem-solving, decision-making, and intercultural communication skills, with the ability to influence, drive results, and operate effectively in complex global environments.

#LI-CF1

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to various export control regulations. Applicants for these positions may be limited (by, for example, their countries of citizenship, country of origin, or immigration status) where required by law or governmental contact, and/or employment made contingent upon the issuance of appropriate governmental licensing.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs.

We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.

MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail] .

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation.

Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges.

It's not just a job – it's what you make of it.

While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on-the-job and formal training, as well as educational assistance.

Curiosity is key at MKS - ask questions, own your path.

Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries.

The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong.

Diversity isn't just a nice-to-have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets.

With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data.

We're the behind-the-scenes support for some amazing technology.

MKS Instruments enables technologies that transform our world.