Program Manager Lead Job Listing at Flex in Buffalo Grove, IL (Job ID WD206571)

Description

Job Posting Start Date 08-21-2025 Job Posting End Date 10-22-2025Flex is the diversified manufacturing partner of choice that helps market-leading brands design, build and deliver innovative products that improve the world.A career at Flex offers the opportunity to make a difference and invest in your growth in a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. If you are excited about a role but don't meet every bullet point, we encourage you to apply and join us to create the extraordinary. Job Summary

Purpose:

The Program Manager Lead manages and oversees the end-to-end product lifecycle for  manufacturing programs, ensuring that production, quality, safety, and cost targets are met.

The Program Manager Lead is accountable for maintaining efficient manufacturing operations to meet internal and customer expectations. This role focuses on achieving high levels of forecast accuracy, managing manufacturing costs, and project timelines aligned with the overall manufacturing capacity for a customer program. This role requires a strategic leader who can effectively manage resources with cross-functional teams, optimize operational processes, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximize customer satisfaction and manufacturing performance.

Responsibilities:

• Interfacing with customers, including solving customer problems, building relationships, and managing escalations.

• Leading the Program Management Office (PMO) for the Business Unit.

• Manages the program management team who lead various customer programs.

• Participating in project planning sessions and contributing to timelines and deliverables.

• Participating in cross-departmental teams to deliver projects or initiatives.

• Facilitating meetings between different teams to ensure alignment.

• Effectively presenting project updates to customers, stakeholders, and senior leaders.

• Preparing reports or presentations summarizing project progress and outcomes.

• Participating in lean initiatives.

Specific Responsibilities:

• P&L Management / Financial Management / Cost Management: Responsible for delivering the manufacturing cost committed to the forecast. Monitor financial performance, report on Manufacturing cost FCST variances, and drive actions for improvement.

• Team Leadership / CFT Owner: Lead cross-functional teams (CFT), coordinating efforts across different departments.

• Project Planning and Procurement Execution Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery, ensuring they are completed on time and within Manufacturing cost FCST. Define and manage project scope, goals, timelines, and deliverables.

• Customer Relationship Management / Customer Communication: Act as customers' Program/Site representative, ensuring their needs are met. Supports customer visits. Regular updates to inform customers of project status, challenges, and successes. Site score / Quality Score / Delivery Score.

• KPI Tracking / Operational Excellence: Monitor and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to customer satisfaction, OTD, quality, Accounts Receivable (AR), and financial performance.

• Risk Management: Identify potential risks to the project and implement strategies to mitigate them.

• Contract Compliance / Management: Ensure all services and activities performed by the site follow the contract and agreements. Ensure compliance with contract terms (set by the commercial team) and manage contractual obligations, all the non- contractual situations must be escalated to GAM's (proposal).

• Manage changes in project scope, schedule, and resources effectively. Manage Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Product Change Notifications (PCNs) in accordance with customer requirements. Ensure changes to scope are clear. Address any impact from the change request that needs to be adequately solved by the commercial team.

• Forecast Management: Acknowledge input from demand forecasts and ensure alignment with production capacities (man, machine, materials). Supports the development of accurate forecast and demand plans.

• Claims Management: Variance Management Tracking identifies possible claims and recoveries and addresses them with the commercial team for timely resolution.

• Inventory Management: Oversee inventory levels to ensure adequate supply for production at Site level.

• Quality Assurance: Ensure that project deliverables meet quality standards and customer expectations.

• Reporting and Documentation: Provide regular updates and comprehensive documentation of program activities.

• Continuous Improvement: Drive initiatives for process improvements and operational efficiencies.

• ESG and Sustainability - Customer requirements: Implement customer requirements as agreed & vetted by Commercial Teams.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, Engineering, Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field.
• 7 plus years of related program management experience in medical device manufacturing.
• Deep understanding and extensive experience; capable of handling complex tasks with a high knowledge base and skill.
• Has a comprehensive understanding of key financial indicators and their implications on profit and loss statements and balance sheets.
• Possesses in-depth knowledge of budgeting/forecasting, cost control, and cash management (e.g., QvA).
• Utilizes financial analysis to generate, evaluate, and make decisions that ensure profitability, with a clear understanding of the 'why' behind the numbers.
• Understands contracts, including commercial (price, delivery, obligations, warranty, scope, etc.) supply chain and legal terms.
• Knows manufacturing processes, including KPIs, deliverables, quality, supply chain management (Site inventory, turns, efficiency and optimization around warehousing), production capabilities (human, machine, materials - Bill of Material Pricing & Approved Vendor List), resource management, and continuous improvement to ensure on time delivery and customer.
• Develops and maintains strong and trusted customer relationships. Uses active listening and open-ended questions to uncover customer needs. Is responsive to customer inquiries.
• Organizes people and resources and holds them accountable to meet or exceed commitments.
• Prior operations experience in injection molding and automated assembly preferred.

MF 15

What you'll receive for the great work you provide:

• Full range of medical, dental, and vision plans
• Life Insurance
• Short-term and Long-term Disability
• Matching 401(k) Contributions
• Vacation and Paid Sick Time
• Tuition Reimbursement

Pay Range (Applicable to Illinois) $131,300.00 USD - $180,600.00 USD Annual Job Category OperationsRelocation: Not eligible

Is Sponsorship Available?

NoFlex is an Equal Opportunity Employer and employment selection decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on: age, race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, pregnancy status, or any other status protected by law. We're happy to provide reasonable accommodations to those with a disability for assistance in the application process. Please email accessibility@flex.com and we'll discuss your specific situation and next steps (NOTE: this email does not accept or consider resumes or applications. This is only for disability assistance. To be considered for a position at Flex, you must complete the application process first).

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