Program Manager

Vacuum Process Engineering, Inc., known as VPE, is an exciting special-process manufacturing company for defense, semiconductor, energy markets that is growing. VPE technologies have applications in defense, medical, semiconductor, energy, and commercial aviation. There is never a dull day at VPE; we’ve been in business for 45 years and have 5 buildings with over 200,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package. We are seeking an additional team member for our process engineering and innovation staff; a dedicated individual with good work ethics that is seeking a long-term career with a stable company.

Pay Range: 150-175k, depending on experience

Please note that if you do not meet the required experience for this position, you will not be considered for this opening.

Objective:

We are seeking a high-performance Program Manager to play a foundational role in building and scaling a newly received, strategically significant program at VPE. This customer represents a high-growth opportunity with clear trajectory toward large-volume production, and this individual will be instrumental in establishing the program infrastructure, processes, and team needed to meet that demand. The right candidate brings proven experience scaling customers from prototype through automation and high-volume manufacturing — understanding how to architect the transition from early-stage development to repeatable, efficient production at scale. This individual will own the full program lifecycle — from initial customer engagement and proposal development through production execution, delivery, and ongoing account growth — serving as the single point of contact for all program communications. The ideal candidate combines the disciplined rigor of an engineer with the commercial acumen of a business developer and the motivational presence of a natural leader.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the exclusive single point of contact for the assigned customer account, owning all program communications from kickoff through delivery and post-delivery support.
• Establish and maintain executive-level customer relationships, driving satisfaction, retention, and organic revenue growth.
• Prepare and present program status reports, risk registers, and corrective action plans to senior leadership and customer stakeholders.
• Proactively identify risks, issues, and opportunities within each program and deploy mitigation strategies before escalation is required.
• Own and manage the full program portfolio from NPI (New Product Introduction) through production ramp and steady-state delivery.
• Develop and maintain a customer growth roadmap, tracking opportunities from identification through award.
• Deliver accurate monthly program financial forecasts and variance analyses to finance and executive leadership.
• Manage program-level P&L including revenue recognition, cost-to-complete forecasting, gross margin analysis, and working capital optimization.
• Lead quality planning processes including the development of inspection and test plans (ITPs), first article inspections (FAIs), non-conformance resolution, and customer witness point coordination.
• Drive procurement strategy and execution in partnership with supply chain; manage critical path items, long-lead components, and supplier performance.
• Drive a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement across all program touchpoints.
• Resolve cross-functional conflicts through structured facilitation and consensus-building techniques.

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Petroleum, or related field).
• 10+ years of PM experience in contract manufacturing, aerospace, or green energy sectors.
• Proven track record of scaling a customer program from prototype and pilot production through process automation and high-volume manufacturing; this is a foundational requirement given VPE’s mandate to grow this newly received program to full-rate production.
• Demonstrated success managing programs with P&L responsibility of $5M or greater.
• Strong working knowledge of contract manufacturing processes: fabrication, machining, assembly, integration, and test.
• Proficiency with ERP platforms, MS Project or equivalent scheduling tools, and advanced Excel/data analytics.
• Track record of leading and growing customer accounts in a competitive, multi-vendor environment.
• Experience with quality management systems and regulatory/industry standards applicable to energy and industrial markets.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PMP or PMP certification through PMI.
• APICS CPIM or CSCP supply chain certification.
• Exposure to FEED (Front-End Engineering Design) to EPC project execution models.
• Experience with IOGP, API, ATEX, or similar energy sector standards.
• Background in solar, wind, energy storage, hydrogen, or other renewable energy manufacturing programs.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand. The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision and ability to adjust focus.