Technical Program Manager

Description

Job Title: Technical Program Manager

Work location:

• Work location: This role has an on-site working model, with the employee working at least four days a week in the office at 3M Center located in Maplewood, MN or at the 3M Center in Austin, Tx.

• Travel: May include up to 25% both domestic and international

• Relocation: May be authorized

Key Responsibilities

• Technical lead for manufacturing operations at Vendor(s)

• Drive contract manufacturer preparation for pre-production builds

• Serve as the primary technical authority and escalation point for all issues related to ferrule production processes, driving deep root cause analysis and hands-on problem-solving to ensure effective, permanent closure.

• Provide technical leadership and direction to a cross-functional team of engineers (Product Engineering, Supplier Quality Engineering, Test Engineering, DFx, and others) throughout new product introduction (NPI) and sustaining production phases.

• Own the technical readiness assessment of contract manufacturers, ensuring processes, tooling, and quality systems are fully capable of supporting hyperscale volume production.

• Drive technical decision-making on process design, yield improvement, and manufacturability, partnering closely with DFx and process engineering to optimize production outcomes.

• Lead technical deep-dives and root cause investigations for critical production issues, ensuring corrective and preventive actions are technically sound and sustainable at scale.

• Guide engineering teams in resolving complex, cross-disciplinary technical challenges spanning product design, process engineering, and manufacturing execution.

• Evaluate new process technologies, equipment, and methods to improve ferrule production quality, throughput, and cost-efficiency.

• Collaborate with contract manufacturers' technical teams to troubleshoot production issues on-site or remotely, ensuring rapid and effective resolution.

• Ensure technical solutions align with 3M quality standards, reliability requirements, and applicable regulatory guidelines.

• Communicate technical risks, findings, and recommendations clearly to engineering leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to support informed decision-making.

• Mentor and provide technical guidance to engineers on the team, fostering strong problem-solving capability and technical rigor.

Your Skills and Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start)

• Seven (7) years of combined experience in product engineering, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, or technical program management within a hardware/optics manufacturing environment.

• Five (5) years of demonstrated experience leading or directly supporting new product introduction (NPI) programs from development through mass production.

• Five (5) years of hands-on experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, DMAIC, fishbone/Ishikawa analysis) in a manufacturing or production environment.

• Three (3) years of experience working directly with contract manufacturers (CMs) or external manufacturing partners on process qualification, technical issue resolution, or production ramp activities.

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field.

• Experience with fiber optic components, connectors, or ferrule manufacturing processes specifically.

• Background in high-volume, hyperscale, or precision manufacturing environments (e.g., semiconductor, optics, electronics, or medical device manufacturing).

• Familiarity with Design for Excellence (DFx) principles, including Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT).

• Experience with statistical process control (SPC), process capability analysis (Cpk/Ppk), and yield improvement methodologies.

• Working knowledge of quality systems and standards such as ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or similar.

• Experience with PLM, MES, or quality management software systems (e.g., Windchill, SAP QM, Minitab).

• Proven ability to mentor and develop junior engineers or technical team members.

• Strong communication skills with experience presenting technical findings to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Experience working in a global, matrixed organization with cross-time-zone collaboration.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional, technical teams (engineering, quality, manufacturing) to resolve complex production issues.

• Hands-on experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes (e.g., 8D, DMAIC, fishbone/Ishikawa analysis) in a manufacturing or production environment.

• Experience working directly with contract manufacturers (CMs) or external manufacturing partners on process qualification, technical issue resolution, or production ramp activities.

• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (as required) to support contract manufacturer sites, up to approximately 25% of the time.