Supplier Manufacturing Program Manager

Position Summary

The Supplier Manufacturing Program Manager leads manufacturing programs with external suppliers, ensuring robust, scalable, and compliant production processes. This role combines program management and manufacturing engineering expertise to support new product introductions (NPI), production ramp-up, and lifecycle management. Acting as a bridge between internal teams and suppliers, the position ensures cost and performance objectives are achieved.

Key Responsibilities

Program & Supplier Management

• Lead end-to-end manufacturing programs with external suppliers from development through sustained production
• Serve as the primary interface between internal teams and supplier partners on the front-end design and manufacturing process
• Develop and maintain program plans, schedules, budgets, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive issue resolution, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives as it relates to manufacturing optimization
• Support supplier selection, onboarding, qualification, and performance management.

Manufacturing Engineering

• Provide technical leadership for supplier-based production processes.
• Review and approve process flows, work instructions, routings, and control plans.
• Support design for manufacturability (DFM/DFA) in collaboration with R&D and suppliers.
• Lead or support process validation activities (IQ/OQ/PQ), including documentation and execution.
• Define and implement process controls, tooling, fixtures, test methods, and automation strategies.
• Analyze manufacturing data to improve yield, throughput, and process capability.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Drive cost reduction through process optimization and value engineering.

New Product Introduction & Change Management

• Lead manufacturing readiness for NPI, including pilot builds, ramp planning, and capacity assessments.
• Manage engineering and supplier process changes using formal change control processes.
• Ensure smooth transition from development to production while maintaining compliance standards.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure supplier processes comply with applicable regulatory and safety standards (ISO, FDA, GMP, etc.).
• Participate in audits, risk assessments, and quality reviews.
• Identify and mitigate manufacturing risks.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, supplier management, or program management.
• Hands-on experience with external suppliers or contract manufacturers.
• Strong understanding of process validation and manufacturing controls.
• Proven ability to manage complex, cross-functional programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated industries (medical device, aerospace, automotive, etc.).
• PMP or equivalent certification.
• Experience with NPI and production scale-up.
• Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.

Key Competencies

• Manufacturing engineering expertise
• Supplier and stakeholder relationship management
• Technical problem solving and root cause analysis
• Program execution and risk management
• Data-driven decision making

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.