Program Manager – Manufacturing & Enterprise Transformation

Our client an established and growing manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead high-impact enterprise technology and operational initiatives across the business.

This is a highly visible leadership position responsible for driving complex cross-functional programs from strategy and planning through execution implementation and stabilization. One of the initial priorities will include leadership of a significant ERP implementation and business transformation initiative making previous ERP implementation experience a major plus.

The ideal candidate will bring a strong manufacturing background and understand how technology operations engineering finance supply chain and organizational change intersect within a manufacturing environment.

This individual must be comfortable working directly with C-level executives and senior leadership managing outside vendors and consulting partners driving organizational change resolving roadblocks and holding both internal and external teams accountable for results.

This is more than a traditional project management position. We are looking for a Program Manager who can take ownership of major business initiatives establish structure and accountability communicate effectively with executive leadership and ensure programs are delivered against defined scope schedule budget and business objectives.

• Lead complex enterprise-wide programs involving multiple business functions workstreams vendors and stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans covering scope schedules milestones resources budgets dependencies risks and deliverables.
• Establish clear ownership and accountability across internal teams and external partners.
• Manage programs against established scope schedule budget quality and business objectives.
• Identify potential schedule resource budget and scope issues early and develop appropriate mitigation or recovery plans.
• Manage multiple interconnected workstreams while maintaining visibility into overall program health.
• Drive accountability across teams and ensure commitments milestones and deliverables are met.
• Ensure strategic initiatives remain aligned with executive priorities and measurable business outcomes.

• Provide program-level leadership for a major ERP implementation and related business transformation initiatives.
• Coordinate activities across Manufacturing Operations Finance Accounting Supply Chain Engineering IT and other business functions.
• Partner with functional and technical resources to ensure project milestones business process design testing data readiness training and organizational readiness remain aligned.
• Manage implementation partners ERP/software vendors consultants and other third parties against agreed-upon deliverables and expectations.
• Establish disciplined processes for scope management change control risk management issue resolution dependency management and executive escalation.
• Support the ERP program through planning design implementation testing go-live and post-go-live stabilization.
• Ensure the ERP initiative delivers measurable business value rather than simply achieving a technical go-live.

Previous full-cycle ERP implementation experience is highly preferred. Experience with Epicor Kinetic or Epicor ERP is a significant plus; however candidates with strong implementation experience involving other major manufacturing ERP platforms will also be considered.

• Serve as a trusted program leader and partner to C-level executives and senior business leadership.
• Provide clear concise and accurate reporting regarding program status milestones budgets risks dependencies and decisions requiring executive involvement.
• Prepare and facilitate executive steering committee meetings program reviews and leadership briefings.
• Translate complex project and technical issues into clear business impacts options and recommended actions.
• Facilitate difficult cross-functional conversations and drive decisions when teams or stakeholders have competing priorities.
• Build alignment across Manufacturing Operations Engineering Finance Supply Chain IT and other business functions.
• Maintain credibility with executive leadership operational teams technical resources and external partners throughout the program lifecycle.

• Manage relationships with ERP/software providers implementation partners consultants and other strategic vendors.
• Establish clear expectations regarding deliverables timelines resources responsibilities and performance.
• Hold external partners accountable to contractual and project commitments.
• Identify vendor performance concerns early and implement corrective actions or escalation when necessary.
• Coordinate internal and external resources to ensure all parties are working toward common program objectives.
• Evaluate vendor deliverables and ensure outside partners are providing the expected business value.

• Incorporate organizational change management into overall program planning and execution.
• Develop and monitor change-readiness communication training stakeholder engagement and adoption plans.
• Identify areas of resistance or organizational risk and work with leadership to address them before they affect implementation.
• Help business leaders understand how new systems processes technologies and operating models will impact their teams.
• Establish measurable indicators for organizational readiness and user adoption.
• Ensure change management receives the same visibility and discipline as schedule budget scope and risk.
• Drive adoption of new processes and systems across the organization.

Beyond ERP and technology initiatives the Program Manager may lead or support strategic manufacturing and operational improvement programs involving:

• Manufacturing process improvement
• Productivity and efficiency initiatives
• Cost-out and cost-reduction programs
• DFMA Design for Manufacturing and Assembly initiatives
• Operational excellence
• Supply chain and inventory optimization
• Engineering and manufacturing process transformation
• Business process standardization
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Technology-enabled operational improvements
• Cross-functional strategic initiatives

Following completion of the initial ERP transformation this individual will have the opportunity to lead additional strategic programs throughout the organization.

• 7 years of progressive project and/or program management experience leading complex enterprise technology manufacturing or business transformation initiatives.
• Manufacturing industry experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience managing large cross-functional programs involving multiple departments workstreams and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work directly with C-level executives and senior leadership.
• Experience managing outside vendors consultants implementation partners and other third parties.
• Strong understanding of program governance integrated project planning schedule management budget management resource planning risk management issue management dependency management and change control.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and drive accountability across teams including stakeholders who may not directly report to the Program Manager.
• Strong executive communication presentation facilitation and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience supporting or leading organizational change associated with major technology process or operational initiatives.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks early and develop practical recovery or mitigation strategies.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment where priorities and business requirements may evolve.

• Full-cycle ERP implementation or major ERP transformation experience.
• Experience with Epicor Kinetic or Epicor ERP.
• Experience with another major manufacturing ERP platform such as Infor SAP Oracle Microsoft Dynamics or a comparable enterprise platform.
• Experience managing ERP software vendors and implementation/consulting partners.
• Understanding of manufacturing business processes across production planning inventory supply chain procurement engineering costing and finance.
• Experience leading organizational change management and user-adoption initiatives associated with ERP or enterprise transformation.
• Experience working within multi-site or complex manufacturing organizations.
• PMP PgMP or comparable program/project management certification.

The following experience is not required but would be particularly valuable:

• DFMA / Design for Manufacturing and Assembly projects
• Cost-out or structured cost-reduction initiatives
• Lean Manufacturing
• Continuous Improvement
• Operational Excellence
• Manufacturing process transformation
• Engineering-related programs
• Supply chain transformation
• Productivity and efficiency initiatives
• Multi-site manufacturing programs

The successful Program Manager will bring structure visibility urgency and accountability to major enterprise initiatives while building strong relationships throughout the organization.

Executive leadership will have a clear understanding of program health and will not be surprised by missed milestones budget concerns scope changes vendor performance issues resource constraints or organizational readiness challenges.

Successful programs will demonstrate:

• Clearly defined scope ownership milestones and accountability.
• Strong alignment between executive leadership and functional teams.
• Proactive identification and mitigation of risks.
• Effective management of vendors and implementation partners.
• Disciplined scope and change control.
• Strong organizational change management and user adoption.
• Clear executive-level reporting and decision-making.
• Cross-functional collaboration between Manufacturing Operations Engineering Finance Supply Chain and IT.
• Delivery against established business schedule budget and operational objectives.
• Measurable business outcomes following implementation.

Most importantly this individual will help establish a repeatable program management approach that can be applied beyond the initial ERP initiative to future manufacturing technology operational improvement cost-reduction engineering and enterprise transformation programs.

Bachelors degree in Business Engineering Information Systems Finance Operations or a related discipline is preferred. Equivalent professional experience managing complex manufacturing and enterprise programs will also be considered.

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

This position is not eligible for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. The employer will not sponsor petition for or assume sponsorship of an employment visa for this position.

Employment eligibility will be verified in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race color religion sex gender gender identity gender expression sexual orientation national origin ancestry age disability medical condition genetic information marital status military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal state or local law.

Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.