Engineering Program Manager, XRX

ZEISS•Dublin, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Program Manager will ensure achievement of the XRX business target by delivering an outstanding technical solution to a key US account. The role contributes to next-generation wearable vision technology, where optical performance and user experience are mission critical, and leads advanced spectacle lens development programs from concept through industrialization. The position works with engineering and manufacturing experts on strategically visible programs and requires technical rigor, attention to detail, and execution excellence. The role leads complex, potentially multiyear new-product and new-technology programs involving technical uncertainty, multiple development loops, and strict industrialization readiness criteria. It coordinates work across R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and supply chain, translating customer requirements into project objectives, plans, milestones, and deliverables. The program manager manages scope, schedule, risks, dependencies, communications, and performance, cost, and quality targets within corporate development processes, quality systems, governance frameworks, and applicable regulatory and safety guidelines. The position has accountability for integrated project delivery and decision-making within approved project and governance boundaries. Some milestone approvals, investment decisions, resource allocations, strategic priorities, customer messaging, and high-impact trade-offs are shared with or escalated to functional leadership and management. National and international travel is estimated at approximately 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field of experience.
At least 5 years of experience.
Proven experience managing complex technical development projects.
Strong ability to structure ambiguity and turn evolving requirements into actionable plans.
Excellent stakeholder management skills, including confidence working with demanding, detail-oriented customers.
Ability to align teams without formal authority and maintain momentum under pressure.
Clear, concise communication skills, with the ability to balance technical depth and executive-level clarity.
Resilient, pragmatic, solution-oriented approach and comfort navigating conflict and high expectations.
Solid understanding of product development, product lifecycles, and cross-functional collaboration.
Willingness to travel nationally and internationally, estimated at approximately 25%.

Nice To Haves

Experience in optics, medical devices, consumer electronics, or similar high-precision industries.
Direct relationship or customer-facing experience in technical development projects.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end project management for advanced spectacle lens development programs, from concept through industrialization.
Lead complex, multiyear new-product and new-technology development programs, ensuring disciplined planning, execution, and control across project phases.
Decide on project sequencing, prioritization, and phase transitions within defined governance frameworks and corporate product development processes.
Translate evolving customer requirements—including optical performance, manufacturability, cost, and regulatory considerations—into structured project objectives, plans, milestones, and deliverables.
Define project plans and deliverables in alignment with internal development standards, formal change-management rules, and customer or contractual commitments.
Coordinate cross-functional teams across R&D, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and supply chain; resolve interdependencies affecting product feasibility, industrial scalability, and time to market.
Manage scope, timelines, risks, and dependencies using risk reviews, scenario analyses, and structured decision forums.
Anticipate technical, operational, and supply-chain risks and develop early mitigation plans.
Drive regular, structured, decision-oriented communication with internal teams and external stakeholders, translating technical information into clear, actionable updates.
Identify emerging technical, organizational, and execution issues; escalate critical issues with fact-based options and impact assessments.
Guide teams toward robust, high-quality, pragmatic solutions while escalating high-impact trade-offs for management decisions.
Monitor performance, cost, and quality targets using structured reviews, KPIs, and deviation analyses, and implement optimization measures within the approved project framework.
Maintain compliance with applicable confidentiality, regulatory disclosure, quality management, audit, reporting, and safety requirements.
Travel nationally and internationally, estimated at approximately 25%.