Operations Program Manager

Description

Position Summary

The Operations Program Manager (OPM) is responsible for the successful execution of assigned customer programs and manufacturing orders from purchase order acceptance through production, final inspection, shipment, and delivery.

As A1J Technologies transitions from a traditional precision machining job shop into a scalable Tier 1 supplier supporting commercial aerospace and defense customers, this position plays a critical role in strengthening program accountability, cross-functional coordination, customer communication, and on-time delivery performance.

The Operations Program Manager serves as the primary internal coordinator for assigned customer programs, ensuring that Engineering, CNC Programming, Master Scheduling, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Shipping activities are aligned with contractual requirements, approved delivery commitments, and operational priorities.

This position is responsible for maintaining accurate program status, identifying and escalating execution risks, coordinating recovery plans, monitoring program milestones, and ensuring customer commitments are supported by realistic manufacturing schedules and available resources.

The successful candidate must demonstrate strong manufacturing knowledge, program execution discipline, customer communication skills, and the ability to drive accountability across multiple departments without direct functional authority.

Primary Responsibilities

Customer Program Ownership & Execution

- Serve as the primary operational point of contact for assigned customer programs and manufacturing orders.
- Maintain end-to-end visibility of assigned jobs from order acceptance through manufacturing, inspection, shipment, and delivery.
- Review customer purchase orders, contractual delivery commitments, program requirements, and critical milestones in coordination with CSR, Sales, Engineering, and Quality.
- Establish program execution plans identifying key deliverables, manufacturing milestones, schedule dependencies, and operational risks.
- Ensure assigned programs are executed in accordance with customer requirements, approved schedules, and applicable quality standards.
- Monitor overall program progress and coordinate cross-functional actions necessary to achieve customer delivery commitments.
- Identify potential delays, resource constraints, and execution issues before they affect customer deliveries.
- Maintain ownership of program-level action items, risk registers, recovery plans, and customer commitments.
- Escalate unresolved issues to Operations leadership with recommended corrective actions.

2. Program Planning & Manufacturing Readiness

- Coordinate with Engineering, Process Engineering, CNC Programming, Supply Chain, Quality, and Master Scheduling to ensure jobs are ready for manufacturing.
- Monitor engineering reviews, routing development, traveler preparation, CNC programming, material procurement, tooling availability, and inspection planning.
- Establish and track preproduction milestones to support planned manufacturing start dates.
- Identify incomplete engineering packages, material shortages, programming delays, or unresolved technical requirements.
- Coordinate timely resolution of manufacturing readiness issues with responsible department managers.
- Participate in manufacturing readiness reviews for new, complex, high-priority, or customer-critical programs.
- Ensure customer-driven changes are communicated to affected departments and incorporated into approved program plans.
- Support first-article and new product introduction activities by tracking technical, manufacturing, and quality readiness.

3. Production Schedule Coordination & Delivery Performance

- Partner with the Master Scheduler to review production schedules, planned operation completion dates, and customer delivery commitments.
- Monitor assigned jobs against approved manufacturing schedules and identify schedule deviations.
- Coordinate with the Production Manager to understand manufacturing priorities, capacity constraints, and production recovery requirements.
- Maintain visibility of manufacturing progress across machining, outside processing, inspection, and shipping operations.
- Identify jobs at risk of missing planned milestones or customer delivery dates.
- Coordinate cross-functional recovery actions to address delays and restore program execution.
- Evaluate the delivery impact of machine downtime, material shortages, engineering delays, quality issues, and outside processing constraints.
- Support the development of realistic delivery projections based on verified manufacturing status and approved scheduling assumptions.
- Ensure schedule risks and changes are communicated promptly to appropriate stakeholders.
- Do not independently change the master production schedule or direct machine-level priorities outside established Operations approval processes.

4. Customer Communication & Program Reporting

- Provide accurate, timely, and professional status updates to customers and internal stakeholders within assigned communication authority.
- Prepare customer program trackers, milestone schedules, delivery recovery plans, and operational progress reports.
- Coordinate with CSR and Sales to ensure customer communications reflect verified manufacturing status and approved commitments.
- Lead or participate in customer program reviews, production status meetings, and delivery recovery discussions.
- Communicate program risks, corrective actions, and anticipated delivery impacts clearly and proactively.
- Maintain documented customer commitments, action items, and follow-up responsibilities.
- Support customer visits, operational reviews, and program execution discussions.
- Ensure delivery commitments and recovery dates are approved by the appropriate Operations and commercial authorities before being communicated externally.

5. Cross-Functional Coordination & Accountability

- Coordinate execution activities across Engineering, Programming, Manufacturing, Planning, Supply Chain, Quality, and Shipping.
- Establish clear ownership and due dates for program-related action items.
- Conduct structured program reviews to identify open issues, execution risks, and required recovery actions.
- Follow up with responsible departments to ensure commitments are completed on schedule.
- Identify recurring communication gaps, process breakdowns, and delayed handoffs.
- Escalate unresolved issues through the appropriate functional management structure.
- Promote accountability, timely decision-making, and consistent execution across assigned programs.
- Maintain professional working relationships with internal stakeholders and customer representatives.
- Support Operations leadership in resolving competing program requirements and delivery priorities.

6. Manufacturing Progress & Operational Visibility

- Maintain accurate visibility of assigned jobs, including current operation, manufacturing department, quantity completed, remaining operations, and estimated completion dates.
- Review JobBoss and/or “touch” parts in the shop as needed to monitor program status.
- Validate critical job status with Manufacturing and other responsible departments when ERP information is incomplete or inconsistent.
- Identify stalled jobs, excessive work in process, missed operation milestones, and delayed interdepartmental transfers.
- Coordinate with Production and Expeditors to resolve material movement issues affecting program delivery.
- Track outside processing status, expected return dates, and potential supplier delays.
- Monitor inspection and final acceptance requirements that may affect planned shipment dates.
- Provide Operations leadership with accurate program execution reports and exception-based updates.

7. Quality, Compliance & Customer Requirements

- Coordinate with Quality and Engineering to ensure program execution supports applicable customer specifications, drawing revisions, quality clauses, and contractual requirements.
- Monitor first-article inspection requirements, customer approvals, and quality-related milestones.
- Track quality issues, nonconformances, rework, and corrective actions that affect program delivery.
- Coordinate recovery planning when product quality issues impact manufacturing schedules or customer commitments.
- Ensure customer requests for deviations, concessions, or technical changes are directed through authorized Engineering, Quality, and commercial approval processes.
- Support program documentation and traceability requirements in accordance with A1J's Quality Management System.
- Participate in customer corrective action and delivery recovery activities as assigned.
- Respect Quality's independent authority for product acceptance, nonconformance disposition, and final release.
- Support AS9100 compliance through disciplined program execution, documentation control, and risk management.

8. Program Risk Management & Recovery Planning

- Identify and maintain visibility of technical, manufacturing, material, supplier, quality, capacity, and delivery risks affecting assigned programs.
- Develop and maintain program risk registers and action plans for critical customer orders.
- Assess the impact of identified risks on manufacturing milestones and customer commitments.
- Coordinate corrective and recovery actions with responsible department managers.
- Establish milestone-based recovery schedules for delayed or high-risk programs.
- Track recovery actions through completion and verify their effectiveness.
- Escalate critical risks requiring executive decisions, additional resources, or customer communication.
- Provide management with clear summaries of program status, risks, required decisions, and expected outcomes.

9. Program Financial & Commercial Awareness

- Maintain awareness of assigned program value, delivery milestones, and financial exposure associated with delays.
- Coordinate with Finance, Sales, and Operations to identify program execution issues that may affect revenue timing, manufacturing cost, or customer commitments.
- Monitor major schedule changes, excessive rework, expedite costs, and outside processing delays that could negatively affect program performance.
- Identify opportunities to reduce avoidable costs associated with poor planning, repeated expedites, and manufacturing interruptions.
- Support program profitability reviews and operational improvement initiatives as assigned.
- Escalate potential commercial impacts to the appropriate functional leadership.
- Do not independently authorize customer pricing changes, contract modifications, or unapproved commercial commitments.

10. Process Standardization & Continuous Improvement

- Develop and maintain standardized program tracking, milestone reporting, and risk management practices.
- Establish consistent methods for monitoring manufacturing progress, program readiness, and delivery commitments.
- Improve communication and handoffs between CSR, Engineering, Planning, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Shipping.
- Identify recurring causes of program delays and recommend corrective actions.
- Support implementation of standardized program dashboards, production trackers, and exception reporting tools.
- Participate in Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives focused on lead-time reduction, on-time delivery, and manufacturing execution.
- Support improvements to JobBoss/ERP data accuracy and operational reporting.
- Contribute to A1J's development of scalable program management processes appropriate for a Tier 1 aerospace and defense supplier.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

- Assigned Program On-Time Delivery - Percentage of assigned customer orders delivered on or before the approved contractual commitment date.
- Program Milestone Attainment - Percentage of planned program milestones completed by their required dates.
- Delivery Risk Identification - Percentage of at-risk orders identified and escalated before delivery failure.
- Recovery Plan Execution - Percentage of approved recovery actions completed by committed dates.
- Customer Status Reporting - Timeliness and accuracy of required customer program updates.
- Manufacturing Readiness Tracking - Percentage of assigned jobs with readiness requirements verified before planned production start.
- Program Action Item Closure - Percentage of assigned cross-functional action items completed by required dates.
- Program Status Accuracy - Accuracy of reported manufacturing status, operation progress, and projected completion dates.
- Past-Due Program Backlog - Number and value of past-due orders within assigned programs.
- Outside Processing Visibility - Timeliness of identifying and escalating outside processing delays.
- Customer Escalation Response - Timeliness of response and coordination of resolution for customer program issues.
- Program Execution Improvement - Reduction in recurring delays, missed milestones, and preventable execution issues.

Work Environment

- Primarily office-based with frequent interaction with manufacturing personnel, department managers, and customers.
- Requires regular presence on the manufacturing floor to validate program progress and coordinate operational issues.
- Requires participation in customer meetings, production reviews, and cross-functional program discussions.
- Requires extended periods of computer-based reporting, scheduling review, and analytical work.
- Schedule flexibility may be required to support urgent customer programs, production recovery, and operational priorities.

Benefits

- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Employer Match

Requirements

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; equivalent relevant manufacturing experience may be considered.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in manufacturing program management, operations coordination, production control, or related manufacturing functions.
- Demonstrated experience managing customer programs or complex manufacturing orders in a high-mix manufacturing environment.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production scheduling, material planning, engineering readiness, and quality requirements.
- Experience coordinating cross-functional activities involving Engineering, Manufacturing, Planning, Supply Chain, Quality, and customer-facing teams.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple customer programs, competing priorities, and delivery commitments.
- Experience developing and maintaining program schedules, milestone trackers, risk registers, and recovery plans.
- Working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems and manufacturing work-order tracking.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.
- Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively with customers, department managers, and executive leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to identify risks, drive action-item closure, and influence results without direct functional authority.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment with changing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in aerospace, defense, precision CNC machining, or high-mix, low-volume manufacturing.
- Familiarity with CNC milling, turning, EDM, grinding, lapping, and outside manufacturing processes.
- Experience managing complex aerospace manufacturing programs involving multiple operations, outside processing, and customer-specific requirements.
- Familiarity with AS9100, AS9102 First Article Inspection, customer quality clauses, and aerospace documentation requirements.
- Experience with JobBoss ERP or comparable manufacturing systems.
- PMP certification or equivalent program management training.
- Experience developing customer milestone schedules, delivery recovery plans, and operational dashboards.
- Experience coordinating programs with engineering changes, material shortages, inspection constraints, and manufacturing capacity limitations.
- Demonstrated success improving program delivery performance, customer communication, and cross-functional execution.
- Experience supporting organizational growth and standardized manufacturing program management processes.