Innovation Program Manager Jobs in Gurnee, IL (NOW HIRING)

Global Electronics Association is seeking a Program Manager (2 openings). The Program Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing complex programs and initiatives supporting the Association's products, services, technical communities, and strategic priorities.

The Program Manager brings strong program leadership, stakeholder management, project execution, and operational excellence skills that are transferable across multiple business areas including Standards, Certification, Education, Technology Solutions, Workforce, and future product lines.

This role serves as the operational lead responsible for moving initiatives from concept through implementation by coordinating cross-functional teams, managing schedules and deliverables, supporting volunteer engagement, facilitating meetings, maintaining project documentation, identifying risks, and ensuring successful execution.

The role is designed to be highly flexible, allowing program managers to rotate among business units while applying a common operating model and consistent project management practices across the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the planning, coordination, execution, and delivery of assigned programs, projects, and initiatives from initiation through completion.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, RAID logs, budgets, and status reports using Association project management tools.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including product leaders, subject matter experts, volunteers, marketing, IT, finance, and external partners to achieve program objectives.
• Organize and facilitate meetings, prepare agendas, document decisions, track action items, and ensure timely follow-up.
• Support volunteer committees, advisory groups, working groups, standards committees, or technical communities through planning, communications, logistics, and relationship management.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and report program performance metrics, customer insights, operational data, and business intelligence to support decision making.
• Develop, document, and continuously improve standard operating procedures, workflows, templates, and best practices.
• Continuously improve of the Association's project management methodology and program delivery capabilities.
• Build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Deliver programs on schedule and within scope; maintain accurate project documentation.
• Facilitate productive meetings; Communicate clearly and professionally.
• Manage competing priorities, drive accountability, and improve business processes.
• Learn new product areas quickly and work effectively across organizational boundaries.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Project Management, Education, Technology, Communications, or related.
• 5+ years leading complex programs or projects.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Experience supporting multiple stakeholders simultaneously.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Experience managing competing priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience using project management and productivity software including Monday.com, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Asana, Jira & Microsoft Office 365.

Global Electronics Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering a competitive salary of $65K+ and excellent employee benefits. The Association has a hybrid work environment. Position reports to the Bannockburn, IL office.

Please send resume and cover letter to e-mail: lyssabernstein@electronics.org Subject line should say: Program Manager.

The Global Electronics Association, formerly known as IPC, is the leading voice of the $6 trillion global electronics industry. Since 1957, we’ve supported the growth and success of more than 3,000 member companies across the electronics supply chain, from design and printed boards to advanced packaging, assembly, and testing.

As a member-driven organization, we deliver internationally recognized standards, trusted certification programs, workforce education, market intelligence, and public policy advocacy to strengthen and advance the global electronics ecosystem. Our mission is to enable better electronics for a better world through smarter collaboration, resilient supply chains, and shared innovation.

With global headquarters in Bannockburn, Illinois, the Global Electronics Association has operations in Belgium, China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United States and a presence across dozens more countries to support its members.