Program Manager - Special Projects
About The Position
The Program Manager, Special Projects owns and leads a portfolio of complex, high-impact programs spanning multiple functions and product lines. Programs may include development and new product initiatives, operational and customer-facing work, and cross-company initiatives. The role develops project charters defining expectations, resource requirements, and anticipated return on investment, and maintains the schedules, budgets, and risk plans needed to deliver against established specifications, schedules, and budgets. The Program Manager is accountable for high-profile, strategically significant programs and serves as the program interface for customers and senior stakeholders. The role coordinates across engineering, product management, sales, supply chain, quality, manufacturing, and service to meet cross-functional requirements and deliver programs successfully. Reporting to the Senior Director of Program Management, the position promotes program management best practices and oversees schedules, budgets, and resource allocation across multiple concurrent programs. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, communication, and program management skills, a solid technical background, and the ability to represent the company to customers and external partners while managing a complex portfolio in a fast-paced organization.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field.
- At least three years of progressive project or program management experience.
- Prior project management coursework or training.
- Experience managing program budgets and recommending resource trade-offs.
- Experience with project and resource management software.
- Experience in a customer-facing environment, including direct customer interaction in a highly visible role.
- Computer and software skills applicable to the position, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present to customers and senior external stakeholders and explain complex or technical information clearly.
- Exceptional organizational skills, including independently organizing information from multiple functions and sources.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and stakeholders.
- Strong dedication to quality and demonstrated analytical ability with attention to detail.
- Ability to manage complex programs and multitask effectively with little direction.
- Ability to demonstrate professionalism and sound judgment.
- Excellent follow-through; driven and self-motivated.
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree.
- PMP certification.
- Mentoring or supervisory experience.
- Experience with Smartsheet.
Responsibilities
- Own and manage a portfolio of complex, cross-functional engineering and non-engineering programs, including schedules, resourcing, budgets, risks, and alignment with business objectives.
- Lead high-visibility customer programs, strategic customer commitments, special projects, and cross-company initiatives as the accountable program owner and customer interface.
- Maintain complex schedules for development projects, company programs, and new product platforms to meet market needs defined by Product Management.
- Develop and maintain program charters, scope documents, and business cases with product management, engineering, and functional leadership, defining resource needs, budgets, and milestones.
- Coordinate across engineering, product, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and service to set priorities, allocate resources, and meet commitments.
- Serve as a primary contact for customers, partners, and senior stakeholders, communicating program progress, risks, and schedule changes.
- Regularly advise leadership and customers on program status, risks, resource constraints, and trade-off recommendations.
- Manage customer relationships, including scope changes, conflict resolution, and risk-mitigation strategies.
- Maintain cross-functional communication about program schedules and identify critical-path items or delays promptly.
- Anticipate schedule delays and initiate cross-functional activities and contingency plans to recover schedules.
- Mentor junior program managers and contribute to best practices, standardized processes, and continuous improvement.
- Manage competing portfolio priorities to meet critical deadlines.
- Develop project management tools to improve project development efficiency and resource management across projects.
- Work independently with minimal oversight, manage multiple priorities across a complex portfolio, and follow through on commitments.
Benefits
- Health insurance eligibility starting on the first day of hire.
- Dental insurance eligibility starting on the first day of hire.
- Vision insurance eligibility starting on the first day of hire.
- 401(k) with 5% company match.
- Bonus eligibility.
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick time.
- Paid holidays.
- Wellness reimbursement program.
- Potential eligibility to apply for tuition reimbursement.
- Fertility and family building benefit.
- Employee referral program.
- Employee Assistance Program.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
