Sr Director, Project Management - Manufacturing Transformation

Excelitas Technologies; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Excelitas Technologies, based in Pittsburgh, PA, seeks a Sr. Director of Project Management for Manufacturing Transformation to lead strategy, governance and execution of a multi-site portfolio.

You will build and run a PMO that drives standardization, lean initiatives and measurable performance improvements across manufacturing operations. The role collaborates with plant leadership, operations, engineering, supply chain and finance to convert strategic goals into structured programs with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, business, or related field.
• 10+ years in manufacturing operations or PMO leadership, including 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience with site consolidations and greenfield/brownfield startups.
• Lean, Six Sigma knowledge; PMP or equivalent certification preferred.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the manufacturing transformation roadmap across multiple sites.
• Build and lead a PMO for manufacturing operations with governance and reporting.
• Prioritize transformation initiatives: lean/automation/capacity expansion.
• Establish and track KPIs: cost savings, throughput, quality, delivery, safety.
• Lead cross-functional teams with clear scope, budget, timeline, and risk management.
• Drive change management for sustained adoption of new processes and systems.
• Manage program budgets and business cases; validate ROI with Finance.
• Identify and mitigate cross-site risks and interdependencies; resolve roadblocks.
• Develop and mentor project/program management talent; advance PM maturity.
• Advise senior operations leadership on strategy, sequencing, and resourcing.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering/related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

Lean Principles

Six Sigma

PMP or equivalent

Job description

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Sr Director, Project Management - Manufacturing Transformation

Location: Pittsburgh, PA, US, 15222

Job Function: Operations

Job Country: United States

Job City: Pittsburgh

Job Type: Regular Full Time

ENABLE your future through light.

Excelitas is a global technology leader with more than 7,500 employees, focused on delivering market-driven solutions to fulfill the illumination, optical, detection and imaging needs of OEMs and end-users across the biomedical, semiconductor, industrial, consumer products, scientific, security, defense and aerospace sectors.

ENGAGE with us today and make your contribution to the future! Join the team that leading technology companies turn to for cutting-edge photonic innovation. At Excelitas Technologies you are how we EXCEL.

The Opportunity

The Sr. Director, Project Management – Manufacturing Transformation leads the strategy, governance, and execution of Excelitas' multi-site manufacturing transformation portfolio. This role builds and leads a project/program management function that drives standardization, operational excellence, and measurable performance improvement across manufacturing operations. Based in Pittsburgh, the Sr. Director partners with plant leadership, operations, engineering, supply chain, and finance to translate strategic transformation goals into structured programs, with clear governance, milestones, and ROI tracking. This role will travel 60% of the time across Excelitas manufacturing sites.

Key Responsibilites

• Own the manufacturing transformation roadmap, translating enterprise strategy into a structured portfolio of programs and projects across multiple sites.
• Build and lead a project management function/PMO for manufacturing operations, including standard methodology, governance cadence, and reporting.
• Partner with plant and operations leaders to identify, prioritize, and sequence transformation initiatives (e.g., lean/continuous improvement, automation, facility consolidation, systems/ERP rollouts, capacity expansion).
• Establish and track KPIs for transformation programs (cost savings, throughput, quality, on-time delivery, safety) and report progress to executive leadership.
• Lead cross-functional project teams, ensuring clear scope, budget, timeline, and risk management for each initiative.
• Drive change management efforts to ensure sustained adoption of new processes, systems, and ways of working at the site level.
• Manage program budgets and business cases, working closely with Finance to validate ROI and track realized benefits.
• Identify and mitigate cross-site risks and interdependencies; escalates and resolve roadblocks.
• Develop, mentor, and grow project/program management talent; build organizational project management maturity.
• Serve as a key advisor to senior operations leadership on transformation strategy, sequencing, and resourcing.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations management, business, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, project/program management, or operational excellence, including 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience with site consolidations required.
• Experience with greenfield and/or brownfield start-ups required.
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale manufacturing transformation, operational excellence, or PMO-building initiatives in a multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable continuous improvement methodologies; PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Experience managing multi-million dollar program budgets and building/tracking business cases.
• Strong analytical, communication, and change-management skills.
• Experience in a regulated or precision manufacturing environment (e.g., optics, photonics, aerospace/defense, medical device) is a plus.

Please note:

• This position requires the use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
• Visa sponsorship is not available

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