Senior Technical Program Manager, Equipment Engineering

Fresh Consulting•Austin, TX

3d•$140,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Fresh Consulting is hiring a Senior Technical Program Manager to own the end-to-end development lifecycle for a portfolio of custom, automated manufacturing tools. The role is responsible for driving schedules, budgets, technical performance, and delivery milestones through completion. It works closely with process engineers, manufacturing engineers, management, and equipment-design teams to turn complex technical concepts and specifications into clear project scopes, roadmaps, and work-breakdown structures. The position serves as the primary operational link between external contract manufacturers, equipment vendors, and internal stakeholders to manage tool builds and coordinate Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT). It facilitates alignment across R&D, Equipment Engineering, Quality, Global Supply Chain, and High-Volume Manufacturing operations. The role also identifies technical risks, long-lead bottlenecks, and design changes; develops mitigation plans; and maintains project tracking, dashboards, and executive reporting on portfolio health, scope changes, and budget allocation. The role is onsite in Austin, Texas, and involves frequent time on the manufacturing floor and in cleanroom environments. Occasional personal protective equipment may be required, including safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, or cleanroom smocks. Compensation is $140,000–$160,000 per year, with the offered amount determined by factors including location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Requirements

At least 5 years of technical program or project management experience overseeing custom capital-equipment development, such as semiconductor fabrication tools, automated assembly lines, robotics, or high-precision optics manufacturing.
Ability to engage comfortably with mechanical, electrical, software, and process engineers on high-precision automated systems.
Proven track record managing Tier-1 equipment vendors, contract manufacturers, and long-lead supply-chain components, including FAT/SAT and structured operational-readiness validation.
Exceptional ability to synthesize complex technical engineering updates into structured, actionable insights for executive leadership and operational teams.
Uses modern AI tools to work faster and smarter, such as automating status synthesis and surfacing schedule and supply risks earlier.

Nice To Haves

Experience deploying capital equipment into a cleanroom or high-volume manufacturing environment.
Familiarity with wafer- or panel-scale fab tooling and production line-scaling programs.
Background bridging optical, mechanical, electrical, and software-controls disciplines on high-precision automated systems.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end development lifecycle for a portfolio of custom, automated manufacturing tools, driving schedule, budget, technical performance, and delivery milestones to closure.
Work with process engineers, manufacturing engineers, management, and equipment-design teams to translate technical concepts and specifications into project scopes, roadmaps, and work-breakdown structures.
Act as the primary operational link between contract manufacturers, equipment vendors, and internal stakeholders to manage tool builds and coordinate Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT).
Facilitate communication and strategic alignment across R&D, Equipment Engineering, Quality, Global Supply Chain, and High-Volume Manufacturing operations.
Identify technical risks, long-lead bottlenecks, and design changes, and develop mitigation plans to keep manufacturing timelines on track.
Maintain project tracking, dashboards, and executive reporting on portfolio health, scope changes, and budget allocation.
Spend frequent time on the manufacturing floor and in cleanroom environments observing equipment.