PLC Supply Program Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking a Product Life Cycle (PLC) Supply Program Manager / (NPME) New Product Manufacturing Engineer to lead manufacturing readiness for new and evolving semiconductor equipment platforms from concept through production release.

In this role, you will serve as a critical link between Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Product Safety, Field Service, and Program Management to ensure new products are manufacturable, scalable, serviceable, and ready for successful customer deployment. You will drive manufacturing deliverables throughout the Product Life Cycle (PLC), ensuring readiness assessments, risk mitigation, process validation, and production launch requirements are completed with objective evidence and measurable results.

The ideal candidate brings strong experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing engineering, risk management, and cross-functional program execution within a complex capital equipment environment.

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What You'll Do

Manufacturing Readiness & Product Launch

• Lead manufacturing readiness activities for prototype, Alpha, Beta, and production builds.
• Develop and validate manufacturing assembly processes, test methods, and production workflows.
• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) improvements with Engineering teams.
• Ensure tooling, fixtures, manufacturing equipment, factory resources, and training programs are in place before production release.
• Conduct readiness reviews before critical builds, customer shipments, and production launches.
• Capture lessons learned from early builds and drive continuous improvement throughout the product lifecycle.

PLC Governance & Tollgate Management

• Own manufacturing deliverables and readiness evidence for Concept, Design, Alpha, Beta, and Production Release milestones.
• Participate in PLC and tollgate reviews, providing objective assessments of manufacturing readiness.
• Ensure release decisions are supported by measurable evidence, risk assessments, and validated processes.
• Identify readiness gaps early and drive action plans to closure.
• Support risk acceptance and exception processes when business conditions require controlled deviations.

Risk Management & Continuous Improvement

• Lead or support PFMEA activities, manufacturing risk assessments, CAPA investigations, and nonconformance resolution.
• Maintain visibility of manufacturing risks, corrective actions, ownership, and closure plans.
• Drive root-cause analysis and implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
• Escalate issues that could impact product quality, safety, manufacturing performance, customer commitments, or production schedules.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve manufacturability, quality, and operational efficiency.

Supply Chain & Configuration Readiness

• Ensure BOM structures and product configurations are mature and production ready.
• Partner with Supply Chain teams to confirm material availability, supplier readiness, and component risk mitigation.
• Support engineering change implementation and configuration management activities.
• Verify production requirements are aligned with supply chain capabilities and manufacturing capacity.

Production Release Readiness

Prior to recommending production release, ensure readiness in the following areas:

• Manufacturing safety requirements
• PFMEA completion and risk mitigation
• BOM and configuration maturity
• Supplier and material readiness
• Assembly and test procedures
• Manufacturing tooling and fixtures
• Training and workforce readiness
• Manufacturing and supplier quality plans
• CAPA and nonconformance management
• Packaging and shipment readiness
• Factory capacity and resource planning
• Labor and cycle-time validation
• Completion of required PLC manufacturing deliverables

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering, New Product Introduction (NPI), Product Engineering, or a related role supporting complex capital equipment.
• Experience introducing complex electromechanical products into manufacturing environments.
• Experience with:
  • New Product Introduction (NPI) methodologies
  • Product Lifecycle Management (PLC/PLM) processes
  • PFMEA and structured risk management
  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
  • BOM management and engineering change control
  • Root cause analysis and CAPA processes
  • Manufacturing work instructions and test procedures
  • Production readiness and release reviews
• Strong project management, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate and influence stakeholders across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management organizations.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in semiconductor capital equipment or semiconductor manufacturing environments.
• Experience with vacuum systems, gas and chemical delivery systems, robotics, motion control systems, electrical controls, thermal systems, plasma processing equipment, or other complex semiconductor equipment subsystems.
• Knowledge of SEMI standards and semiconductor equipment manufacturing requirements.
• Experience supporting product transitions from prototype through high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
• Experience using ERP, PLM, and MES systems.
• Experience with configuration management and structured BOM control.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 8D, DOE, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

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Success Profile

The successful candidate will:

• Drive manufacturing readiness across all phases of product development.
• Identify and mitigate manufacturing risks before they impact production or customers.
• Deliver objective evidence supporting product release decisions.
• Influence cross-functional teams to achieve operational excellence.
• Balance technical rigor, manufacturing efficiency, quality, and business priorities.
• Escalate critical risks when readiness criteria have not been met.

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Why Join Us?

Join a team developing next-generation semiconductor equipment and play a key role in bringing innovative products from concept to production. You'll work at the intersection of engineering, manufacturing, and operations, helping ensure products are built safely, efficiently, and at the highest standards of quality and reliability.