Director, Program Engineering Operations

FIRST; Manchester (NH); On-site; USD 114,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vision Insurance

Life & AD&D Insurance

Supplemental life insurance

Voluntary accident and legal plans

Income protection

Flexible schedule

Hybrid work model

PTO 160 hours

14 holidays + floating holiday

Holiday closure

Sick leave 40 hours

Volunteer day

Maternity & Parental leave

401K with employer match

Dependent flex plans

EAP

Job summary

FIRST, headquartered in Manchester, NH, seeks a strategic engineering leader to translate complex initiatives into reliable program execution. You will guide cross‑functional teams across mechanical, electrical, and software domains, overseeing design, testing, manufacturing, deployment, and support of mission‑critical systems.

The role requires 8+ years in engineering with 3+ in supervision, CAD and/or programming expertise, and a willingness to travel 5–10%.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• 8+ years directly related experience, including 3+ years in supervision.
• Engineering background in mechanical, electrical, robotics, or related field.
• CAD and/or programming experience.
• Willingness to travel 5–10%.

Responsibilities

• Lead program engineering operations across teams and systems.
• Oversee mechanical and electrical engineering, game field design, and deployment.
• Coordinate with IT and external contributors to align engineering efforts.
• Manage workshop and warehouse operations, fabrication, and maintenance.
• Develop and mentor a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Balance budgets, schedules, resources to deliver initiatives.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

CAD experience

Programming experience

Travel willingness

Education

BA/BS in related discipline

Tools

CAD

Programming

Job description

Does the thought of preparing kids to solve the world’s greatest problems excite and empower you? Do you want to be with an organization where your knowledge and skills will help increase school engagement and student success, and extend our global reach? Do you want to be on a team that crafts opportunities and provides life changing experiences for students?

These opportunities are as strong and dynamic as ever, as FIRST® creates the people who will change the world – today and tomorrow!

What We Offer

We promise a fast-paced, exciting, and rewarding environment where you will be part of a team that cares about each other and thrives on each other’s successes. As a Great Place to Work® certified company, you’ll feel good about the future of the world after doing hard work with the talented people at FIRST® and will have a front row seat to our life-changing programs.

Our extensive benefits package is highly competitive and includes:

• Vision Insurance
• Life & AD&D Insurance
• Supplemental life insurance
• Voluntary accident and legal plans
• Income Protection Insurances (STD & LTD)
• Flexible Work Schedule
• Hybrid Work Model
• 160 PTO hours for FT employees
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year (plus 1 floating holiday)
• Paid July 4th Week Holiday Closure
• 40 hours paid sick leave per calendar year
• One paid volunteer day per anniversary year
• Maternity and Parental Leave
• 401K Retirement Savings Plan (with employer match)
• Medial and dependent pre-tax flex plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The salary range for this position is $114,125-$132,955.50. New hires typically start within this range based on their qualifications, experience, and considerations of internal equity.

Who You Are

You are a strategic engineering leader with a proven ability to translate complex technical initiatives into reliable, high-quality program execution. You thrive at the intersection of mechanical, electrical and software engineering, operational excellence and leading cross-functional teams through the design, testing, manufacturing, deployment, and support of mission‑critical systems. You are equally comfortable managing engineering operations, warehouse and workshop environments, and ensuring safety, compliance, and quality standards are met. With Gracious Professionalism® our ideal candidate will lead collaborative teams, optimize processes, and deliver innovative solutions that support exceptional program and event experiences.

FIRST headquarters is in Manchester, New Hampshire, and we seek candidates based in New England or willing to relocate to New England. This position requires an onsite presence.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will lead program engineering operations by overseeing teams, technical systems, and execution of competition technologies to ensure safe, reliable, and innovative FIRST experiences.

• Lead the execution of FIRST's program engineering operations, overseeing mechanical and electrical engineering, game field design, manufacturing, deployment, scoring systems, and event support while ensuring safety, quality, and program requirements are met.
• Partner with Robotics Engineering, IT, the Distinguished Engineer, and external technology contributors to align engineering efforts, integrate systems, advance technology strategy, and deliver seamless competition experiences.
• Direct engineering operations, including workshop and warehouse management, fabrication and maintenance for competition fields, game elements, and event systems.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team by setting priorities, managing performance, hiring talent, and fostering professional growth to achieve annual goals and long‑term technology objectives.
• Manage program engineering execution by balancing budgets, schedules, resources, and changing priorities to ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
• Provide tactical leadership for day‑to‑day engineering operations while advising senior leadership on strategic direction.

What We Expect

We are seeking candidates with the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

• BA/BS in a related discipline, including a minimum of 8 years directly related experience; including at least 3 years of supervisory or management experience.
• Engineering background in a relevant discipline (mechanical, electrical, robotics, or related field)
• CAD and/or programming experience
• Flexibility to travel 5-10%

Commitment to FIRST Core Values

• Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
• Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
• Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
• Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
• Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
• Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

Thriving on our core values, celebrating the uniqueness of our employees and committed to inclusion. Proud to be an equal opportunity employer.