Technical Program Manager - NPI & Ferrule Production

3M; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 250,000 - 306,000; Full time

Job summary

3M is seeking a Technical Program Manager to drive NPI and sustaining programs from development through hyperscale production. You will lead cross-functional teams including product engineering, supplier quality, test engineering, and DFx to ensure readiness and scale for contract manufacturers.

The role requires extensive experience in manufacturing engineering, root cause analysis, and working with external manufacturers, with on-site work in Maplewood, MN or Austin, TX.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start)
• Seven (7) years of combined experience in product engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or technical program management within a hardware/optics manufacturing environment.
• Five (5) years of demonstrated experience leading or directly supporting new product introduction (NPI) programs from development through mass production.
• Five (5) years of hands-on experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, DMAIC, fishbone/Ishikawa analysis) in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Three (3) years of experience working directly with contract manufacturers (CMs) or external manufacturing partners on process qualification, technical issue resolution, or production ramp activities.

Responsibilities

• Technical lead for manufacturing operations at Vendor(s)
• Drive contract manufacturer preparation for pre-production builds
• Serve as the primary technical authority and escalation point for issues related to ferrule production processes
• Provide technical leadership and direction to a cross-functional team of engineers through NPI and sustaining production phases
• Own the technical readiness assessment of contract manufacturers for hyperscale volume production
• Drive technical decision-making on process design, yield improvement, and manufacturability
• Lead technical deep-dives and root cause investigations for critical production issues
• Guide engineering teams in resolving complex cross-disciplinary technical challenges
• Evaluate new process technologies, equipment, and methods to improve ferrule production quality, throughput, and cost-efficiency
• Collaborate with contract manufacturers’ technical teams to troubleshoot production issues on-site or remotely
• Ensure solutions align with 3M quality standards and regulatory guidelines
• Communicate risks and findings to leadership for informed decisions
• Mentor engineers to strengthen technical capability

Job description

3M is seeking a Technical Program Manager to drive NPI and sustaining programs from development through hyperscale production. You will lead cross-functional teams including product engineering, supplier quality, test engineering, and DFx to ensure readiness and scale for contract manufacturers.

The role requires extensive experience in manufacturing engineering, root cause analysis, and working with external manufacturers, with on-site work in Maplewood, MN or Austin, TX.