Factory Program Manager – NPI & Hardware Manufacturing

Title : Factory Program Manager

Duration 6 -month contract

Location: San Francisco CA 94110(Onsite)

Job Description

The Factory Program Manager will serve as the primary onsite representative at a large electronics manufacturing facility. This role will coordinate daily factory activities, support new product introduction (NPI) builds and engineering experiments, and drive follow-through on shared priorities and open issues.

The Program Manager will bring structure and visibility to onsite operations by maintaining integrated schedules and issue lists, coordinating onsite support, communicating weekly priorities, and escalating risks before they impact engineering or build schedules.

Key Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day coordination of factory activities, including NPI builds, design of experiments (DOEs), testing, failure analysis, material deliveries, and facility work.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between the hardware engineering team and the manufacturing facility.
• Maintain an integrated site schedule and master issue list with clear owners, priorities, dependencies, and due dates.
• Establish a regular communication cadence covering upcoming activities, required onsite support, progress, risks, and decisions.
• Drive cross-functional teams and manufacturing partners to close open actions and escalate issues when progress is at risk.
• Coordinate shared resources, including technicians, lab equipment, test fixtures, floor space, and engineering support.
• Support build readiness by coordinating materials, equipment, documentation, staffing, and other requirements.
• Ensure results from experiments, testing, and failure analysis are documented and communicated to appropriate engineering teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve factory processes, site organization, and collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Coordinate site infrastructure and workspace needs in partnership with Engineering, Operations, and IT.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in hardware program management, factory operations, manufacturing operations, or NPI.
• Experience working onsite with a contract manufacturer, preferably in electronics or printed circuit board assembly manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of hardware development and manufacturing processes, including surface-mount technology, assembly, testing, and production ramp.
• Experience managing multiple workstreams with competing priorities, shared resources, and tight schedules.
• Strong issue management skills with a consistent track record of driving actions to completion.
• Ability to understand technical discussions, identify dependencies, and communicate effectively with engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to summarize complex activities for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proactive approach with the ability to bring structure to environments where processes and priorities may change quickly.
• Ability to work onsite five days per week for the duration of the six-month contract.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting engineering DOEs, hardware validation, or failure analysis.
• Familiarity with thermal management, immersion cooling, power electronics, ASIC-based hardware, or high-density computing systems.
• Experience managing factory lab spaces, facility upgrades, or production floor layouts.
• Experience with material readiness, inventory coordination, and supply chain activities.
• Previous experience working with a large electronics manufacturing services provider.

Education

• Technical degree or equivalent practical experience.