Program Management Manager

Ultimate Staffing; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Ultimate Staffing is assisting a client in Milpitas for a Program Management Manager role. This full-time, direct-hire position is 100% onsite and focuses on leading the PM team, managing customer programs, and driving cross-functional execution from order to delivery.

The role requires hands-on leadership, extensive experience in program management within manufacturing/EMS, and a proven ability to improve profitability and customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of program management experience in manufacturing or EMS.
• Experience leading and developing teams and managing customer relationships.
• Experience with New Product Introductions (NPI) and contract manufacturing operations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Program Management team and serve as the primary liaison between customers and the organization.
• Oversee customer order management, program execution, NPI, contracts, and POs.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities to meet quality, cost, delivery, and service targets.
• Drive profitability, revenue growth, and operational performance.
• Lead customer reviews and ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Planning, and Purchasing to deliver programs on schedule.

Skills

Leadership

Program Mgmt

Customer Relations

ERP

MRP

NPI coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

Tools

ERP system

MRP

NPI coordination

Job description

We are seeking a Program Management Manager to join a client in Milpitas. This is a full-time, direct hire role. The role is 100% onsite.

The Manager, Program Management is responsible for leading the Program Management team and serving as the primary strategic liaison between customers and the organization. This role oversees customer order management, program execution, new product introductions (NPI), contract and purchase order reviews, and cross-functional coordination to ensure customer expectations for quality, cost, delivery, and service are consistently achieved.

The Manager, Program Management drives customer satisfaction, revenue growth, profitability, and operational performance while ensuring effective communication and collaboration across internal functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

We are seeking a Program Management Manager to join a client in Milpitas. This is a full-time, direct hire role. The role is 100% onsite.

The Manager, Program Management is responsible for leading the Program Management team and serving as the primary strategic liaison between customers and the organization. This role oversees customer order management, program execution, new product introductions (NPI), contract and purchase order reviews, and cross-functional coordination to ensure customer expectations for quality, cost, delivery, and service are consistently achieved.

The Manager, Program Management drives customer satisfaction, revenue growth, profitability, and operational performance while ensuring effective communication and collaboration across internal functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, develop, and oversee all activities of the Program Management team.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance management to salaried and hourly team members.
• Establish clear objectives and performance expectations aligned with company goals.
• Foster a customer-focused, collaborative, and results-driven culture.

Customer Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary escalation point for customer concerns and program-related issues.
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships through regular communication and strategic engagement.
• Define and manage customer expectations related to quality, delivery, cost, and service.
• Identify opportunities for business growth and support new sales initiatives within existing customer accounts.
• Lead customer business reviews, including monthly, quarterly, and executive-level meetings.

Program & Operations Management

• Direct the successful launch and execution of new customer programs and product introductions.
• Coordinate product implementation plans, schedules, and cross-functional readiness activities.
• Oversee the setup and maintenance of Bills of Materials (BOMs), production standards, and customer orders within the ERP system.
• Partner with Planning and Operations teams to ensure proper MRP loading, material availability, and production readiness.
• Coordinate engineering change implementation and communicate schedule, cost, and operational impacts to customers.
• Lead pre-production and post-production reviews to ensure successful program execution.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Maintain profit and loss (P&L) accountability for assigned customer accounts.
• Monitor and improve account profitability through effective cost management and customer negotiations.
• Track and recover applicable customer charges, including:
  • Purchase Price Variance (PPV)
  • Tariffs and duties
  • Expedited freight
  • Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) expenses
  • Rework costs
  • Overtime charges
  • Other customer-specific recoverable costs
• Ensure Excess and Obsolete (E&O) inventory is identified, quoted, communicated, and collected from customers as applicable.
• Lead quoting activities, contract reviews, pricing analysis, and commercial negotiations.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Planning, and Purchasing teams to ensure contract requirements are achieved.
• Support resolution of customer and operational issues through corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure manufacturing, material, quality, and delivery requirements are met in accordance with customer agreements and business objectives.

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customer satisfaction, delivery, quality, profitability, and operational performance.
• Analyze program performance and implement improvement initiatives to drive customer success and business results.
• Report customer satisfaction metrics, business risks, and improvement opportunities to executive leadership.
• Support organizational continuous improvement initiatives and strategic objectives.

Other Duties

• Perform additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related field required.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of program management experience within a manufacturing or electronics manufacturing services (EMS) environment.
• Previous supervisory or management experience required.
• Proven experience managing customer relationships, program execution, and account profitability.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and contract manufacturing operations preferred.

Required Competencies

Leadership Competencies

• Strong leadership and team development skills
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
• Effective conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Customer-focused mindset
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strategic thinking and business acumen
• Decision-making and problem-solving skills

Technical Competencies

• Understanding of ERP and MRP systems
• Knowledge of electronics manufacturing processes and supply chain operations
• Familiarity with engineering change management (ECO/ECN)
• Working knowledge of cost accounting and P&L management
• Knowledge of ESD controls and electronics handling requirements
• Understanding of ISO quality management systems
• Knowledge of workplace health and safety practices
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing and Just-in-Time (JIT) principles

Success Measures

• Customer satisfaction and retention
• On-time delivery performance
• Account profitability and margin improvement
• Successful execution of NPI programs
• Recovery of customer-related costs and liabilities
• KPI achievement and operational performance
• Team engagement and development

Reporting Relationship

Reports to: General Manager

Supervises: Program Managers, Program Coordinators, and other assigned personnel

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, or military or veteran status. We consider all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act, City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.