Senior Program Manager, Manufacturing Operations

SPAN; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation + equity

Comprehensive benefits: 100% premiums

Close to public transit (BART/Caltrain

Team culture events & recognitions

Flexible hours and time off

Job summary

SPAN is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead the end-to-end bring-up of a new manufacturing facility. You will coordinate site selection, incentives, construction, and facility readiness, aligning engineering, finance, legal, HR, and supply chain toward a shared timeline.

Based at SPAN’s HQ with frequent travel to the site during active build-out phases, you will own the master plan, manage dependencies, and drive readiness across equipment, processes, and staffing.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of program or project management experience leading complex facility bring-ups.
• Ability to manage multiple interdependent workstreams with internal and external partners.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing readiness concepts: qualification, validation, safety, quality systems.
• Solid financial skills: budgeting, forecasting, and incentive commitments.
• Excellent stakeholder management with the ability to influence across functions without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Own the master program plan for new facility bring-up, including milestones, dependencies, critical path, and risk register.
• Coordinate site selection activities with real estate, legal, and finance to evaluate candidate locations.
• Negotiate and track local/state incentives, coordinating with legal and finance.
• Drive facility bring-up activities including permitting, construction oversight, and infrastructure readiness.
• Lead manufacturing readiness planning: equipment qualification, process validation, staffing and training, safety certification, quality system readiness.
• Run cross-functional program reviews, surface risks, and present options to leadership.
• Build and maintain dashboards and status reports for executives.
• Manage relationships with external partners (GCs, vendors, government agencies).
• Develop contingency plans for schedule, budget, or supply chain risks; adjust program plans as needed.
• Document lessons learned and build repeatable playbooks for future launches.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional coordination

Financial acumen

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

PMP certification or equivalent

Job description

The Role

As part of our Manufacturing Operations team, the Senior Program Manager will lead the end‑to‑end bring‑up of a new manufacturing facility, serving as the central point of accountability across site selection, local incentives, construction and facility readiness, and manufacturing readiness. This role requires someone who can build structure across highly ambiguous, fast‑moving workstreams, and who is comfortable coordinating engineering, finance, legal, HR, and supply chain teams toward a shared timeline without having direct authority over any of them. You’ll be based at our HQ with frequent travel to the site during active build‑out phases.

Responsibilities

• Own the master program plan for new facility bring‑up, including milestones, dependencies, critical path, and risk register, from site selection through ramp to full production
• Coordinate site selection activities, working with real estate, legal, and finance teams to evaluate candidate locations against cost, labor, logistics, and regulatory criteria
• Manage relationships and negotiations related to local and state incentives (tax abatements, grants, workforce development funds), partnering with legal and finance to track commitments and compliance obligations
• Drive facility bring‑up activities including permitting, construction oversight coordination, utility and infrastructure readiness, and equipment install scheduling
• Lead manufacturing readiness planning: equipment qualification, process validation, staffing and training plans, safety certification, and quality system readiness
• Run regular cross‑functional program reviews, surfacing risks, resolving blockers, and escalating decisions to leadership with clear options and recommendations
• Build and maintain program dashboards and status reporting for executive stakeholders
• Manage relationships with external partners including general contractors, equipment vendors, local government agencies, and economic development organizations
• Develop contingency plans for schedule, budget, or supply chain risks, and adjust the program plan as conditions change
• Document lessons learned and build repeatable playbooks to streamline future facility launches

Potential Projects

• Lead site selection evaluation and final recommendation for SPAN’s next manufacturing facility
• Negotiate and secure a local/state incentive package, then build the tracking system to manage ongoing compliance commitments
• Build the manufacturing readiness checklist and timeline that gets the new facility from equipment install to first production unit

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of program or project management experience, with direct experience standing up new manufacturing facilities, lines, or large capital projects
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi‑workstream programs involving internal teams and external partners simultaneously
• Working knowledge of manufacturing readiness concepts: equipment qualification, process validation, EHS/safety compliance, and quality systems
• Strong financial acumen, with experience building and tracking capital budgets, forecasts, and incentive‑related financial commitments
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align engineering, finance, legal, HR, and operations leaders without direct authority over them
• Proven track record of building structure and clarity in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership
• Willingness to travel frequently to the facility site during active build‑out phases (travel expectations vary by program phase, potentially 30-50%+)

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity with site selection processes and economic incentive negotiation
• Experience in a relevant manufacturing vertical (e.g., EV/battery, electronics, hardware)
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies
• Prior experience working directly with state or local economic development agencies
• PMP certification or equivalent program management training
• Experience with program management tooling (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Monday.com, or similar)

The Perks

• Competitive compensation + equity grants at a well‑funded, venture‑backed company
• Comprehensive benefits: 100% employee premiums for base plans on medical, dental, vision with options for additional coverage; parental leave up to twenty‑four (24) weeks depending on eligibility
• Comfortable, sunny office space located near BART and Caltrain public transit
• Strong focus on team building and company culture: Employee Resource Groups, monthly social events, SPANcakes recognition breakfast, lunch, and learns
• Flexible hours and flexible time off