Deputy Program Manager: Cross-Functional Program Leader

Daifuku Co., Ltd.; Bolingbrook (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Daifuku Intralogistics America Corporation is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to support the Program Manager and Sales Account Manager in planning, execution, reporting and continuous improvement across the client program portfolio. You will bridge Sales, Operations, Manufacturing and Engineering to align objectives with customer commitments.

This role requires strong analytical, scheduling and problem-solving skills, with experience in risk management and KPI reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in Program Management, Project Management, Operations, or Manufacturing.
• Strong analytical, planning, scheduling and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with customer-facing reporting, KPI management and continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Support Program Demand Planning activities including forecasting, capacity analysis and recommendations to Executive and Senior Leadership Team.
• Assist Sales in evaluating prospective opportunities, assessing capacity and schedule feasibility and supporting bid/no-bid decisions.
• Develop and analyze opportunity schedules, critical path activities and program risks for leadership decision-making and customer proposals.
• Collect and analyze historical and current project performance data to improve future planning, costing, contracting strategies, and execution performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives through analysis of program execution data, reduction of waste, mitigation of risks, and implementation of corrective actions.
• Support management of internal and customer escalations, including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 8D processes, corrective action planning, and closure verification.
• Monitor, analyze, and communicate program KPIs to internal leadership and customer stakeholders through weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer specification management, ensuring compliance with program standards, training requirements, costing controls and contractual obligations.
• Support preparation and management of Customer Business Reviews, reporting compliance requirements, and executive-level communications.
• Coordinate and respond to customer inquiries, active program issues, manufacturing and resource utilization reporting, and technical vendor management activities.
• Provide project management coverage and support for active projects when required.
• Assume (Client) Program Manager responsibilities during absences and maintain continuity of program execution and customer engagement.

Skills

Program Management

Project Management

Operations

Manufacturing

Supply Chain

KPIs & Reporting

Cross-functional Leadership

Risk Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Daifuku Intralogistics America Corporation is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to support the Program Manager and Sales Account Manager in planning, execution, reporting and continuous improvement across the client program portfolio. You will bridge Sales, Operations, Manufacturing and Engineering to align objectives with customer commitments.

This role requires strong analytical, scheduling and problem-solving skills, with experience in risk management and KPI reporting.