Operations Program Manager

THE PANTHER GROUP; Franklin (MA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

THE PANTHER GROUP is seeking an experienced operations leader to own the production execution plan and align manufacturing with the master schedule.

You will coordinate material planning, engineering changes, and risk control across engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to maintain delivery commitments in a regulated hardware environment. This role is fully onsite in Franklin, MA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• 8+ years in manufacturing operations and production planning.
• Experience in DoD/regulatory hardware manufacturing and master schedule.
• Experience with ERP/MRP, ECO/ECP processes, and change management.

Responsibilities

• Production & Operational Planning: Own the production execution plan and align activities with the Integrated Master Schedule.
• Material Planning & Supply Chain: Ensure materials are available per requirements and manage long-lead items.
• Engineering Changes & Configuration: Evaluate impact of changes and coordinate ECO/ECP processes.
• Risk, Quality & Recovery: Identify risks, perform root-cause analyses, and implement recovery plans.
• Reporting & Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead status reviews and updates for leadership; drive cross-functional improvements.

Skills

Production planning

Scheduling

Program management

Communication

Problem solving

Risk management

Lean manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

MS Project

Deltek Open Plan

Primavera

ERP/MRP systems

PLM

Configuration management

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Production & Operational Planning Own the operational execution plan and align manufacturing activities with the Integrated Master Schedule. Develop production sequencing, resource plans, manufacturing milestones, and build schedules. Maintain visibility into production progress, constraints, risks, and delivery commitments. Identify schedule variances and develop recovery plans with clear ownership and timelines.
• Material Planning & Supply Chain Partner with Supply Chain to ensure materials are available in accordance with production requirements and build-need dates. Manage long-lead materials and help resolve material shortages that could impact production. Coordinate with suppliers regarding delivery commitments, recovery schedules, and corrective actions. Maintain alignment between material plans and production schedules.
• Engineering Changes & Configuration Evaluate the operational impact of engineering changes on production schedules, materials, tooling, and delivery. Coordinate the incorporation of engineering changes into production plans. Work within established configuration management and engineering change processes.
• Risk, Quality & Recovery Identify critical-path activities and operational risks before they impact delivery. Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for production delays or other operational issues. Partner with Engineering and Quality on nonconforming materials, rework, and disposition activities. Develop and implement recovery plans to keep production on schedule.
• Reporting & Cross-Functional Leadership Establish and maintain production status meetings, constraint reviews, and operating cadences. Monitor Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and People (SQDCP) performance. Prepare clear, data-driven updates for program and executive leadership. Lead and influence cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment without direct authority. Identify opportunities to improve processes, standard work, handoffs, and operational performance.

Required Qualifications

• Education Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related technical field.
• Experience 8+ years of experience in manufacturing operations, production planning, or operations program management. Demonstrated ownership of production builds and delivery commitments. Experience working within a DoD, federal, regulated, or similarly controlled hardware manufacturing environment, such as aerospace, defense, medical device, or other complex hardware manufacturing. Proven experience managing production schedules connected to a master schedule, including: Critical-path analysis Schedule variance Recovery planning Manufacturing milestones Experience managing production in an active engineering-change environment, including configuration control and ECO/ECP processes. Hands-on experience with MRP/ERP systems and material planning against production requirements. Demonstrated experience recovering a production, supplier, or work-center schedule that was behind plan.
• Technical Skills Proficiency with MS Project or comparable scheduling software, such as Deltek Open Plan or Primavera. Advanced Excel skills. Working knowledge of PLM and configuration management. Understanding of engineering change processes within a controlled manufacturing environment. Familiarity with quality systems and processes including First Article Inspection (FAI), source inspection, nonconforming material, and corrective action. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with both working-level teams and executive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or comparable program management certification.
• Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) or program controls.
• Naval or Army hardware program experience.
• Experience with production readiness reviews, first article activities, qualification testing, or production rate readiness.
• Design for manufacturability, production transition, or design-to-cost experience.
• Experience developing or improving production planning processes, standard work, or operating cadence.
• Lean or Six Sigma certification with demonstrated application in a low-volume/high-mix manufacturing environment.
• Experience with Costpoint or a comparable defense ERP system.
• Experience supporting complex defense hardware programs.

Additional Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Person as defined under ITAR and EAR. This position involves work with export-controlled technology.
• Fully onsite in Franklin, Massachusetts.
• Ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance is preferred; a security clearance is not required for this position.

Why Consider This Opportunity? This is an opportunity to take a central operational leadership role supporting complex defense manufacturing programs. You will have significant influence over production execution, scheduling, material flow, supplier performance, and operational improvement while working alongside experienced engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and program management teams.

Salary: $150,000annually, depending on experience and qualifications.