Technical Program Manager

vulcanelements; Benson (NC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements in North Carolina seeks a seasoned Program Manager to lead the development of a 1.1M square foot manufacturing facility for advanced magnets. You will align Process, Equipment, Industrial, Controls, and Factory Engineering teams to a single timeline and ensure critical-path items stay on track.

The role requires deep engineering context, strong communication with executives, and expertise with Smartsheet, MS Project, and JIRA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience as a program manager in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to understand engineering depth, not just dates on a calendar.
• Expert-level proficiency in enterprise PM tools (Smartsheet, MS Project, JIRA).
• Strong track record distilling complex engineering issues into executive summaries.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain the program timeline for a 1.1M sq ft facility.
• Integrate timelines from Process, Equipment, Industrial, Controls and Factory Engineering.
• Track critical-path equipment from design to FAT/SAT and production commissioning.
• Identify bottlenecks, predict delays, and craft recovery plans with engineers.
• Lead weekly leadership program reviews with clear executive updates.
• Connect engineering departments; manage dependencies between utilities, panels, and trials.
• Master Gantt charts, CPM networks, and milestone dashboards.
• Maintain Program Risk Registers and PFMEA timelines.
• Prepare weekly exec summaries and vendor delivery schedules.

Skills

Program management

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

JIRA

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Management

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

JIRA

Job description

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Integrity.

Responsibilities

Build, connect, and maintain the comprehensive program timeline for the 1.1M square foott facility. Integrate feedback and timelines from Process, Equipment, Industrial, Controls, and Factory Engineering teams into a single, cohesive source of truth.

Track every piece of critical path equipment from initial design concepts to vendor RFQs, Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), Site Acceptance Tests (SATs), and final production commissioning.

Proactively identify critical path items and technical bottlenecks that could push the program timeline. Predict delays before they happen and work with engineering teams to develop recovery plans.

Manage and lead weekly leadership program reviews. Synthesize highly complex, technical engineering data into clear, simple, and actionable visual updates for executive stakeholders.

Act as the connective tissue across all engineering departments. Understand the technical dependencies between a facility utility hookup, a machine's electrical panel build, and a process engineer's trial schedule.

Master Gantt charts, Critical Path Method (CPM) networks, and milestone tracking dashboards.

Program Risk Registers, escalation matrices, and milestone-gated PFMEA timelines.

Weekly executive summary reports, department OKR tracking, and vendor delivery schedules.

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business.

Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Management, or a related technical discipline with 5+ years of experience.

Proven experience as a program manager in a high-volume, large-scale manufacturing environment. You must possess the technical depth to understand what the engineers are building, not just tracking dates on a calendar.

Expert-level proficiency in Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, JIRA, and other enterprise-level project management and roadmap software.

Exceptional ability to distill complex engineering hurdles and machinery delays into simple, transparent executive summaries for leadership.

Proven track record of gathering timeline deliverables from stubborn or highly loaded technical teams and holding them accountable to project milestones without direct reporting authority.

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience specifically in massive-scale facilities, heavy industrial manufacturing, or automotive/aerospace gigafactories.

PMP (Project Management Professional) or Agile/Scrum certifications.

Experience with physical equipment FAT/SAT execution and managing international equipment vendors.

Experience in highly regulated industries such as Defense (DoD), Aerospace (AS9100), or Automotive (IATF 16949).

Physical and Environmental Requirements

The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.