Digital Program Manager

Outform Group•Remote,

6d•$90,000 - $120,000•Remote

About The Position

The Digital Program Manager sits at the intersection of physical fixture development and digital technology, managing the full lifecycle of retail display programs that combine traditional manufacturing, including custom fixtures built with Outform's manufacturing partners in China with LED displays, interactive technology, and software-driven content. This role requires fluency on both sides: knowing how physical displays are built and what it takes to get them across the finish line and understanding the digital stack well enough to know what pixel pitch means and what goes wrong when an LED display doesn't come up correctly in the field. On any given week, the Digital Program Manager may be reviewing prototype samples from a factory in Shenzhen, troubleshooting a media player configuration with the engineering team, and walking a client through a production timeline. This is a remote role with regular travel to Outform's San Francisco and Chicago offices, client sites, and manufacturing partners in China.

Requirements

2+ years in program or project management in a manufacturing, retail display, or consumer electronics context; experience on both the fixture development and digital/AV side is strongly preferred
Hands-on experience managing fixture development with manufacturing partners in China, including prototyping, first articles, and production oversight
Working knowledge of fabrication methods and materials used in retail displays: metal, acrylic, wood, finishing processes, and assembly
Direct experience with LED displays and digital signage programs, including media players, content management systems, and the full technical stack
Working knowledge of display hardware fundamentals: pixel pitch, brightness, cabling, network connectivity, and field troubleshooting
Comfortable reading engineering drawings and translating specs into actionable direction for vendors and production teams
Experience working directly with clients on program execution matters: day-to-day communication, status updates, and issue resolution
Ownership under pressure: serves as the person who picks up the phone when something goes wrong in the field, staying accountable through go-live and stabilization
Decisiveness with incomplete information: makes calls without waiting for everything to be perfect, keeping programs moving
Constructive pushback: willing to challenge a proposed approach when it will not work in the real world, with clients, vendors, or internal teams
Organizational discipline: documents work well and leaves processes more organized than they were found
Cross-cultural and cross-functional communication: works effectively across US teams, China-based manufacturing partners, and client organizations

Nice To Haves

experience on both the fixture development and digital/AV side is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day execution across active programs, working across engineering, software, hardware, production, and install teams
Own client communication on program-specific matters — status updates, timeline alignment, and issue resolution — working alongside the account team
Serve as the point person when something goes wrong in the field during go-live or early stabilization
Support pre-sale scoping by joining client conversations, documenting requirements, and validating that what is being proposed can be delivered
Manage fixture development with manufacturing partners in China, from initial concept through prototyping, testing, and production readiness
Travel to China for factory visits, prototype reviews, first article inspections, and production oversight
Travel to San Francisco and Chicago offices as needed for project milestones, client meetings, and internal alignment
Work closely with engineering and vendor teams to translate design requirements into manufacturable solutions, flagging feasibility, material, or timeline issues early
Participate in prototype evaluations, reviewing builds for fit, finish, assembly, and manufacturability
Manage vendor communications on development programs: pricing, lead times, production strategies, and quality standards
Maintain accurate documentation throughout the development cycle: specs, BOMs, prototype evaluations, and engineering changes
Understand the full technical stack for each program, both physical and digital: fixture construction and fabrication methods, LED hardware specs, media player configuration, content management systems, network setup, and cabling
Work with engineering and software teams on technical requirements to ensure what gets specified is what gets built and installed
Apply knowledge of both fixture development and digital signage to scope programs accurately, troubleshoot issues, and push back when a proposed approach will not work in the field
Read and interpret engineering drawings and translate them into clear direction for vendors and production teams
Keep the hardware and component library current: use cases, configuration patterns, install requirements, and known issues for each component in the portfolio
Build program documentation that gets used: handoff packages, support intake requirements, and escalation paths any team member can pick up and follow
Track field issues such as recurring installer problems, warranty patterns, scope drift, and feed that information back into how the next program is scoped