Program Implementation Manager Jobs in Hickory, NC

Requisition Number: 75950

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Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings - carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Corning's Cables Division is accelerating its digital transformation across manufacturing sites in North America and Europe. As Program Manager, Digital Transformation, you will own the division's end-to-end digital portfolio - from intake and prioritization through governance and execution oversight - while personally leading high-priority strategic programs that deliver measurable operational value. This role reports to the Senior Manager, Digital Transformation, Cables Division.

Primary Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Build and manage the division's digital project intake, scoring, and prioritization process; consolidate fragmented project lists into a single unified portfolio across all sites
• Lead the Digital Steering Committee operating rhythm - including agenda-setting, prioritization decisions, and executive follow-up - and maintain the multi-year digital roadmap with regular progress reporting to division leadership
• Enforce portfolio work-in-progress limits to keep teams focused on the highest-value work; track all roadmap projects for status, milestones, risks, and value realization; surface and remove cross-functional roadblocks
• Personally lead one to two high-priority strategic programs at any given time (e.g., Manufacturing Execution System (MES) configuration harmonization, predictive quality, cross-plant analytics rollout)
• Develop business cases, ROI estimates, and post-implementation value validation for digital investments
• Partner with Lean/Continuous Improvement (CI), central IT, and division IT on joint project intake, shared opportunity pipelines, resource allocation, and technical dependencies
• Produce executive-level status reports, portfolio dashboards, and stakeholder communications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Business, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• 5+ years of program or portfolio management experience, with meaningful exposure to manufacturing, supply chain, or industrial operations
• Demonstrated experience managing portfolios of digital, IT, or operational technology (OT) projects across multiple sites
• Proven ability to build and lead governance forums - steering committees, prioritization boards - with executive stakeholders
• Experience developing business cases and tracking value realization for technology investments
• Working knowledge of MES, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), data historians (e.g., OSIsoft PI System), and manufacturing analytics platforms
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; able to translate technical concepts for executive audiences and operational realities for technical teams
• Ability to travel to manufacturing sites approximately 25-30% of the time (confirm with HM whether this is a hard requirement)

Desired Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional), PgMP (Program Management Professional), or equivalent program management certification
• Familiarity with Lean / Continuous Improvement methodologies
• Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders across plant operations, IT, and functional partners without direct authority
• Demonstrated ability to manage a large portfolio of concurrent priorities and adapt quickly in a fast-changing environment

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.  

The range for this position is $133,278.00 - $183,257.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education. 

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We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at accommodations@corning.com.