Engineering Program Manager, XRX

zeissgroup; Dublin (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ZEISS in Dublin, CA seeks a technical project leader to drive wearable vision technology by steering end-to-end spectacle lens development from concept to industrialization. You will work with world-class engineers and manufacturing experts on multi-year programs with high technical risk and complexity.

The role emphasizes rigorous adherence to development standards, regulatory guidelines, and cross-functional collaboration to translate customer needs into concrete plans and milestones, while

Qualifications

• Lead end-to-end project management for advanced spectacle lens development programs.
• Translate challenging customer requirements into clear project plans, milestones, and deliverables.
• Collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and supply chain teams to ensure alignment.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project management for advanced spectacle lens development.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across disciplines, locations, and maturity levels.
• Maintain governance, change management, and adherence to internal development standards.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical leadership

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

Attention to detail

Industrialization readiness

Job description

About Us:

How many companies can say they've been in business for over 179 years?! Here at ZEISS, we certainly can! As the pioneers of science, ZEISS handles the everchanging environments in a fast-paced world, meeting it with cutting edge of technologies and continuous advancements. ZEISS believes that innovation and technology are the key to a sustainable future and solutions for global change. We have a diverse range of portfolios throughout the ZEISS family in segments like, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. We are a global company with over 42,000 employees and have over 4,000 in the US and Canada alone! Make a difference, come join the team!

Location: Dublin, CA

What's the role?

Ensure reach of the XRX business target by delivering an outstanding technical solution to one of the key accounts in the US. Within this position you contribute to the next generation of wearable vision technology, where optical performance and user experience are mission critical. Work with world-class engineers and manufacturing experts on a program with real strategic visibility. Be trusted to lead in an environment where technical rigor, attention to detail, and execution excellence are non-negotiable. Grow as a technical project leader by operating at the highest standards of modern product development.

Sound Interesting?

Here's what you'll do:

Lead end-to-end project management for advanced spectacle lens development programs, from concept through industrialization. Lead complex, (multi-year) new product and new technology development programs involving high technical uncertainty, multiple development loops, and strict industrialization readiness criteria, ensuring disciplined planning, execution, and control across all project phases. Decide on project sequencing, prioritization, and phase transitions within defined governance frameworks, while operating within corporate product development processes, quality systems, and applicable regulatory and safety guidelines. Exercise sole accountability for integrated project delivery outcomes, while sharing milestone approval and investment decisions with functional leadership and escalating strategic trade-offs to the supervisor when required. Translate challenging customer requirements into clear project plans, milestones, and deliverables. Analyze complex, often evolving customer requirements that involve advanced optical performance, manufacturability constraints, cost targets, and regulatory considerations, converting them into structured and measurable project objectives. Define project plans, milestones, and deliverables in alignment with internal development standards, formal change management rules, and contractual or customer-specific commitments. Decide on requirement prioritization and technical scope proposals in close collaboration with technical experts, while final approval of commercial or contractual interpretations remains with senior management. Act as the central coordination point between R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and supply chain teams for new product developments. Coordinate cross-functional teams operating across different disciplines, locations, and maturity levels, resolving complex interdependencies that directly impact product feasibility, industrial scalability, and time-to-market. Apply established governance models, escalation paths, and documentation standards to align functions while respecting functional ownership, regulatory obligations, and quality management system requirements. Decide on day-to-day cross-functional alignment and sequencing, while shared decisions on resource allocation and strategic priorities are taken jointly with functional leaders. Proactively manage scope, timelines, risks, and dependencies in a fast-moving development environment. Anticipate technical, operational, and supply-chain-related risks in environments characterized by incomplete data, parallel development activities, and aggressive timelines, ensuring early mitigation planning. Control scope, schedule, and dependency management through formal risk reviews, scenario analyses, and structured decision forums in compliance with corporate project management standards. Decide independently on corrective actions within the approved project frame, while major scope or timeline deviations are escalated for supervisory decision. Drive structured communication with internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring transparency, alignment, and timely decision-making. Drive structured, regular, and decision-oriented communication with internal teams and external stakeholders, translating complex technical content into clear, actionable information. Ensure communication practices comply with confidentiality rules, regulatory disclosure requirements, and internal reporting standards. Decide on communication cadence, content, and escalation level, while strategic messaging