Global Program Manager

IPG Photonics; Marlborough (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Tuition reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Backup care

Job summary

IPG Photonics in Marlborough, MA, seeks a Program Manager, Global Enterprise Programs to lead the central PMO for enterprise priorities. You will collaborate with operations, engineering, supply chain, IT, finance, and HR to turn executive priorities into cohesive actions and measurable results.

This hands-on role owns the end-to-end roadmap, governance cadence, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in operations, manufacturing, or industrial program leadership.
• Proven governance, planning, risk and dependencies, exec reporting.
• Credibility on the production floor in a complex engineered-product environment.
• Hands-on Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent.
• Ability to lead organizational change and adoption.
• Executive presence with clear, concise communication.

Responsibilities

• Own the global enterprise program roadmap end to end with milestones and outcomes.
• Set operating cadence for steering reviews, sessions, and status reporting.
• Maintain a single source of truth for status, risks, and actions.
• Translate strategy into structured workstreams with owners and timelines.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver process and capability improvements.
• Drive standardization of planning, execution, and measurement with lean principles.
• Support site transitions, system implementations, and capacity changes.
• Coordinate multiple sites and external partners to manage transfers and governance.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Lean/CI

Change management

Executive communication

Engineering/ops background

Bachelors degree awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/related field

Job description

IPG Photonics is revolutionizing the laser industry as the pioneering developer and leading producer of fiber lasers and amplifiers. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA, IPG has over 4,800 employees in more than 30 locations around the world. We aspire to work together with our employees and customers to apply light in ways that improve life.

Our mission is to develop innovative laser solutions to make the world a better place. To accomplish this mission, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent and an engaged and thriving workforce that drives a sustainable future for our company and society.

About the Role

IPG Photonics is advancing a portfolio of global enterprise programs to strengthen execution, standardize how critical initiatives are run, and deliver measurable, sustainable improvement across Global Operations.

The Program Manager, Global Enterprise Programs serves as the central PMO and execution-coordination lead for these enterprise priorities. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Global Operations and engaging directly with leaders across operations, engineering, supply chain, strategic sourcing, IT, finance, and HR, this leader provides the governance, cadence, transparency, and cross-functional alignment required to turn executive priorities into coordinated action and visible results. This is a hands-on leadership role with clear ownership boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Own the global enterprise program roadmap end to end, including scope, milestones, dependencies, and outcomes, and keep it aligned to the priorities set by the executive leadership team.
• Establish and run a clear operating cadence (steering reviews, working sessions, and status reporting) that creates rhythm, transparency, and momentum across the program.
• Maintain a single, trusted source of truth for program status, risks, decisions, and actions, and ensure it is current and credible at all times.
• Translate strategic intent into structured workstreams with named owners, defined deliverables, and realistic timelines.
• Act as the central PMO interface across functional owners, ensuring progress, risks, dependencies, decisions, and resource needs are visible and actively managed.
• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver process, system, and capability improvements across manufacturing and the broader operations organization.
• Drive standardization of how work is planned, executed, and measured, applying lean and continuous-improvement principles to eliminate waste and variability.
• Support major operational initiatives (e.g., site transitions, system implementations, and capacity changes) with rigorous planning, sequencing, and readiness management.
• Coordinate manufacturing footprint optimization initiatives across sites and functions, supporting local leaders with governance, milestone tracking, dependency management, and escalation discipline.
• Support the identification, evaluation, and approval of new value-creation opportunities, including savings pipeline development, business-case support, and integration of approved initiatives into the global enterprise program portfolio.
• Define the metrics that matter, build the reporting that makes them visible, and use them to manage performance and surface issues early.
• Partner with Strategic Sourcing and operational leaders to support make-or-buy analyses, supplier consolidation initiatives, cost-optimization opportunities, and related business cases.
• Provide program management support for sourcing-led external manufacturing initiatives, including onboarding, industrialization readiness, production transfer planning, and cross-functional governance.
• Coordinate across internal manufacturing sites, external manufacturing partners, sourcing, engineering, quality, finance, and operations leadership to ensure transfer plans, risks, and decisions are actively managed.
• Partner with the CHRO and people leaders to plan and execute the organizational change required for global enterprise programs to stick, including communication, stakeholder engagement, training, and reinforcement.
• Build buy-in at every level, from the executive team to frontline teams, and convert skeptics into participants.
• Anticipate the human side of change and design for adoption, not just implementation.
• Serve as the connective tissue across operations, engineering, supply chain, IT, finance, and HR, ensuring alignment and fast resolution of cross-functional issues.
• Proactively identify, quantify, and mitigate risks; escalate the right issues to the right level at the right time, with options and a recommendation.
• Coordinate internal teams and any external partners or contractors deployed to the program, ensuring accountability, quality, value, and alignment with the appropriate functional owners.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years in operations, manufacturing, or industrial program leadership, including direct ownership of complex, cross-functional global enterprise programs or improvement initiatives.
• Program management: Demonstrated mastery of program/project management discipline, including governance, planning, risk and dependency management, and executive reporting, with a track record of delivering on commitments.
• Operations depth: Strong working knowledge of manufacturing and operations in a complex, engineered-product environment, with credibility on the production floor.
• Continuous improvement: Hands-on application of Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent operational excellence methodologies.
• Change leadership: Proven ability to lead organizational change and drive adoption across functions and levels.
• Executive presence: Confident, concise communicator able to engage and influence executive leadership while remaining grounded in operational detail.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, business, or a related field.

Preferred Skills

• PMP certification and/or formal change-management certification.
• Experience in photonics, lasers, electronics, optics, or precision/advanced manufacturing.
• Experience leading ERP implementations, site transfers, or multi-site operational integration.
• Master’s degree or MBA.

Wage Information

MA: $130K-$165K

Pay Range:

The pay range on this posting applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location posted, the applicable range could differ. Actual starting pay is determined by a number of factors including relevant skills, qualifications, and experience.

Other Compensation: Employees in this role are eligible for additional rewards which could include:

• Annual Discretionary Bonus or Sales Bonus as Applicable

Benefits Provided: All Regular* US employees receive:

• Paid vacation time accrued based on years of service

Additional Benefits Offered: IPG also offers access to:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with options for HSA/FSA
• Dependent Care FSA
• Paid Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance
• 401(k) plan with Company matching
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Adoption Assistance
• Pet Insurance
• Bright Horizons Backup Care
• Bright Horizons College Coach

*Benefits eligibility may differ by program for reduced hour schedule