Engineering Program Manager

Trystar•Burnsville, MN

6d•$160,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Engineering Program Manager is an expert-level individual contributor in Trystar's Research, Development, & Engineering (RDE) organization. The role leads the organization's most complex, highest-risk, and most strategically significant R&D programs and multi-program initiatives under Trystar's Innovation Project Management Standard. With substantial autonomy and a strategic understanding of corporate priorities, the position integrates multiple project teams, makes program-level technical and business decisions within delegated authority, frames enterprise-level tradeoffs for leadership, and leads primarily through influence. The position reports to the Manager, RDE Project Engineering and has no direct reports. It provides project and matrix leadership to engineers and engineering project managers, mentors engineering project managers, and serves as a trusted advisor to enterprise and executive leadership and key customers on assigned programs. The role follows a hybrid working model based in Burnsville, Minnesota, requiring at least one full day per week in the office. Hybrid work from another established Trystar site may be considered. The company may adjust the model as business needs change. The role may require up to 20% domestic and international travel.

Requirements

Bachelor's or higher degree in engineering or a similar technical field, or a bachelor's or higher degree in a business-related field.
PgMP certification, or active progress toward the certification with attainment within one year of hire; a current PMP certification is required until PgMP is earned.
At least 7 years leading projects in engineering, R&D, technology, or product development environments, or a combination of these.
Proven record of leading programs or multi-project initiatives through commercialization.
Proven record of managing or leading engineers and project leaders.
Demonstrated ability to develop and recommend strategy and goals and align execution with corporate priorities.
Business acumen and demonstrated ability to make technical and business decisions to solve business problems.
Proven record of organizational-level business process improvement.
Proven track record of leading through influence and advising executive leadership.
Effective communication, organization, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
Strategic thinking, risk assessment, and sound judgment in technical and business decisions.
Ability to influence without authority across functions and leadership levels, including executive communication.
Experience with Microsoft 365, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, and SharePoint.
Experience with Microsoft Planner and Microsoft Project.
Experience with AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot, Claude, or ChatGPT.
Experience with Mindomo or similar mind-mapping tools.

Nice To Haves

A technical or business master's degree.
Current PgMP certification at time of hire (strongly preferred).
Demonstrated ability to motivate, develop, coach, and mentor senior project leaders.
Broad experience operating in Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid program environments.
Experience managing strategic vendors, suppliers, or development partners.
Understanding of key Trystar technologies, markets, and processes.

Responsibilities

Lead complex, high-risk, strategically significant R&D programs and multi-program initiatives, accountable for scope, integrated resource-backed schedules, critical milestones, spending, interdependencies, and intended business outcomes.
Own program intake, program charters, and program-level requirements; translate corporate priorities into objectives, scope, success criteria, assumptions, constraints, and benefits.
Lead and integrate engineering project managers and cross-functional workstreams through commercialization and handoff to business functions.
Make program-level technical and business decisions within delegated authority and frame enterprise-level tradeoffs and recommendations for leadership.
Prepare complete, evidence-based stage-gate review decision packages.
Assess program and enterprise risks, anticipate emerging issues, escalate early, and lead mitigation and recovery planning.
Report program progress, performance, milestone attainment, spending, risks, issues, decisions, and business outcomes to enterprise and executive leadership at established cadences and at least monthly.
Establish program-level reporting that provides consistent visibility into status, risks, decisions, milestones, and benefits across related projects.
Represent Trystar to key customers on strategic programs and ensure communications are accurate, vetted, and internally aligned.
Recommend Project Engineering strategy, goals, and long-term direction for RDE program and project governance to the Manager, RDE Project Engineering.
Co-own the program management framework with the Manager, RDE Project Engineering, and lead adoption across RDE.
Co-own Project Engineering tools, templates, and standards, ensuring they scale to program and portfolio needs.
Lead program- and portfolio-level scenario analysis for schedule, cost, capacity, and strategic constraints.
Recommend portfolio sequencing, investment tradeoffs, and resource allocations to the Manager, RDE Project Engineering and RDE leadership; leadership retains portfolio and resource decision authority.
Identify long-term capacity and capability gaps and recommend staffing, sourcing, or partnering strategies.
Lead across functions and leadership levels to align strategy, remove systemic execution barriers, and improve enterprise execution effectiveness.
Contribute technical and business ideation, balancing technical, cost, schedule, quality, resource, customer, and strategic considerations.
Institutionalize lessons learned across programs and strengthen RDE execution capability.
Informally mentor engineering project managers in program and project leadership, executive communication, strategic thinking, risk assessment, and decision making.
Partner with the Manager, RDE Project Engineering on capability development, including competency expectations, training priorities, and knowledge-sharing practices.
Provide program performance input regarding engineering project managers working on assigned programs and advise them on complex technical, business, or stakeholder challenges.