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About the Role

The Program Manager is responsible for leading complex customer programs from contract award through final delivery, ensuring technical, operational, financial, and customer requirements are successfully achieved. This role serves as the primary point of coordination between customers and internal teams, driving program execution across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations. It requires a proactive, results-oriented approach, leveraging strong technical and business acumen to align cross-functional teams, manage risk, drive accountability, and resolve challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex customer programs from contract award through production and final delivery, ensuring commitments related to scope, schedule, cost, quality, and technical performance are achieved.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers, maintaining strong relationships and providing clear communication regarding program status, milestones, risks, and deliverables.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Contracts, and Business Development teams to drive successful program execution.
• Translate customer requirements into actionable plans, ensuring all stakeholders understand priorities, deliverables, and expectations.
• Develop and maintain integrated program schedules, resource plans, budgets, and performance metrics to support successful execution.
• Lead cross-functional program reviews, ensuring critical actions, risks, and decisions are identified, communicated, and resolved in a timely manner.
• Proactively identify program risks, resource constraints, and execution challenges, developing mitigation plans before they impact customer commitments.
• Drive accountability across functional teams by removing obstacles, facilitating decision-making, and maintaining focus on program objectives.
• Monitor program performance against established milestones, budgets, and key performance indicators, implementing corrective actions when necessary.
• Manage program scope changes, customer requests, and contract modifications while ensuring impacts to cost, schedule, and resources are properly evaluated and communicated.
• Support proposal development, quoting activities, and program planning efforts by providing schedule, resource, cost, and risk assessments.
• Collaborate with operations and engineering teams to support product development, qualification, transition to production, and ongoing operational success.
• Prepare and present program updates, forecasts, and performance metrics to customers, leadership teams, and executive stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts that enhance program execution, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and overall business performance.
• Maintain accurate program documentation, financial tracking, revenue forecasts, and reporting throughout the program lifecycle.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business Administration, Operations Management, Program Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 7 years of experience leading customer-facing programs, projects, product development initiatives, or manufacturing operations within a technical, engineering, or manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with Program Management requirements and standards within a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracting environment, government programs, or highly regulated manufacturing industries is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated success managing complex programs involving cross-functional teams, multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and aggressive schedules.
• Strong ability to understand technical requirements, engineering concepts, manufacturing processes, and customer specifications, and translate them into actionable execution plans.
• Experience managing program schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and deliverables throughout the full program lifecycle.
• Proven ability to lead through influence, build alignment across functional teams, and drive accountability without direct authority.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance customer expectations, operational realities, financial performance, and organizational priorities.
• Experience working within an ERP-driven manufacturing environment; Epicor experience is preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project or similar project management tools.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills, with the ability to effectively engage customers, executive leadership, and technical teams.
• Highly organized and self-directed, with the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and execution.
• Applicants must be U.S. Persons as defined by U.S. law (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees) pursuant to ITAR, EAR, and other export compliance laws and regulations.

Skills

• Program Management
• Customer Relationship Management
• Cross-functional Team Leadership
• Risk Management
• Schedule Management
• Budget Management
• Resource Planning
• Performance Metrics
• Technical Requirement Translation
• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Project)
• ERP Systems (Epicor preferred)
• Communication
• Presentation
• Negotiation
• Relationship Management
• Organizational Skills
• Attention to Detail

Location

• Rochester

Work Type

• Full-time
• Onsite

Experience Level

• Minimum 7 years of experience

Education Level

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Business Administration, Operations Management, Program Management, or a related discipline.
• Engineering degree strongly preferred.

Salary/Compensations

• Competitive compensation package linked to your experience and performance.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• HSA
• Life insurance
• Paid time off (vacation, sick time)
• 11 paid company holidays

About the Company

• RPO is a global leader in precision optics, optical components, and optical assemblies.
• Specializes in Design and Engineering, Systems Integration, Lens Assembly, Visible and Infrared Components, Glass and Plastic Molded Aspheres, and Thin Film Coating.
• One of the fastest growing companies in Rochester.
• Offers exciting career paths and work on market-leading programs.

Equal Opportunity

• Rochester Precision Optics is committed to leveraging the talent of a diverse workforce to create great opportunities for our business and our people.
• EOE/AA/Race/Gender/Disability/Veteran
• In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.