Senior Engineering Project Manager

MKS Inc.; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Paid holidays

Job summary

MKS is seeking a Senior Engineering Project Manager to drive complex product development programs from concept through manufacturing transfer. You will lead cross-functional teams, manage schedules, budgets, and risks, and report to engineering leadership.

This role requires strong communication with executives and the ability to steer multiple sites across regions. Ideal candidates will bring 10+ years of PM experience in tech development, deep planning skills, and a collaborative approach to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or another technical field.
• 10+ years of project or program management experience in product development of complex technology systems.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary, technical teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong command of project planning, budgeting, resource management, risk management, issue escalation and execution tracking across multiple workstreams.
• Ability to understand technical concepts to guide discussions, evaluate tradeoffs, and keep teams aligned to objectives.
• Ability to collaborate with product line managers and technical leads toward unified delivery goals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for stakeholders and executives.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and using planning, reporting, and portfolio management tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, cross-functional product development programs across concept to manufacturing transfer.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans with milestones, dependencies, budgets, and resources.
• Provide leadership to align priorities across engineering, product marketing, operations, and supply chain.
• Coordinate multi-site programs across U.S., Europe, and offshore manufacturing partners.
• Identify, assess, and manage project risks; drive mitigation and contingency planning.
• Make timely decisions amidst ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Serve as primary communication lead with data-driven updates on progress and risks.
• Drive continuous improvement in PM rigor, processes, and execution rhythms.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder communication

Budgeting & planning

Risk management

Decision making

Team collaboration

Execution tracking

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical field

Tools

MS Office

Project planning tools

PPM tools

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

As a Senior Engineering Project Manager at Spectra-Physics, you will partner with the development, marketing and operations organizations as well as business leaders to drive the successful delivery of complex product development programs, with end-to-end ownership for scope, schedule, cost, quality, and execution risk. You will lead cross-functional teams through ambiguity, align stakeholders and ensure disciplined execution from concept through industrialization and transfer to manufacturing. In this role, you will report to the Director of Engineering.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Leading complex, cross-functional product development programs from early concept through industrialization and manufacturing transfer, with accountability for scope, schedule, cost, quality, and overall project health across geographically distributed teams, including multi-site development environments and offshore manufacturing partners.
• Developing and maintaining integrated project plans that include milestones, dependencies, budgets, resource requirements, key deliverables, and phase-gate expectations, while driving execution through structured reviews and disciplined follow-through.
• Providing leadership across engineering, product marketing, operations, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to align priorities, resolve roadblocks, and ensure timely delivery of business-critical objectives.
• Leading multi-site program coordination across U.S. and European development teams, and offshore manufacturing teams to ensure alignment on priorities, schedules, deliverables, risks, and transfer-to-production readiness.
• Proactively identifying, assessing, and managing project risks and issues; driving mitigation and contingency planning; employing risk-reduction activities such as Design and Process FMEA, DFx reviews, and other related design and process readiness assessments to strengthen execution and product outcomes.
• Making sound, timely decisions in the face of ambiguity, incomplete information, and competing priorities.
• Serving as the primary communication lead for stakeholders and leadership, delivering clear, data-driven updates on progress, tradeoffs, decisions, risks, and changes that may impact scope, cost, or timing.
• Driving continuous improvement in project management rigor, development processes, team operating rhythms, and lessons-learned practices to support broader department and company goals.

Skills You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or another technical field.
• 10+ years of project or program management experience in the product development of complex technology systems.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary, technical teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority in a fast-paced development environment
• Strong command of project planning, budgeting, resource management, risk management, issue escalation and execution tracking across multiple workstreams and dependencies.
• Ability to rapidly understand technical concepts well enough to guide discussions, evaluate tradeoffs, support decision-making, and keep teams aligned to program objectives.
• Ability to build effective collaboration with product line managers and technical leads towards a unified project leadership team focused on optimized delivery of program objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, functional leaders, and executive stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using project planning, reporting, and portfolio management tools to manage execution and communicate status effectively.

Preferred Skills:

• Formal project management training or certification.
• Familiarity with Agile project management approaches, particularly in hardware or mixed hardware/software development environments.
• Familiarity with PPM tools and systems used for planning, portfolio visibility, resource management, and KPI reporting.
• Experience with structured product development processes, including phase-gate development methodologies and manufacturing transfer readiness.
• Familiarity with reliability, quality, and manufacturability practices such as D/PFMEA, DFx, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methodologies.

We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Pay Range: $155,250 to $258,750 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.
• Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].
• Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.