Program Management Jobs in New Jersey (NOW HIRING)

The Director of Program Management leads the execution of a portfolio of strategic programs within advanced manufacturing and semiconductor operations, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer commitments, capital and facilities expansions as well as Annual Operating Plan (AOP) targets. This role requires organizational collaboration across engineering, operations, supply chain, and commercial teams to drive successful execution of projects ensuring schedules and budgets are achieve all while we continue to build out and scale our global footprint.

The Director is responsible for establishing program governance, driving execution discipline, and ensuring cross-functional alignment to meet capacity, schedule, and financial goals. This role also oversees facility buildouts, fab startup activities, and manufacturing scale-up, enabling seamless transition to high-volume production. Through strong leadership and data-driven decision-making, the Director ensures program success, operational readiness, and achievement of business outcomes.
 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Own execution of a portfolio of high-impact programs aligned to business strategy, customer commitments, and AOP objectives. 
• Partner with executive leadership to set priorities, allocate resources, and align programs with financial, operational, and capacity goals. 
• Establish and drive program governance, best practices, and execution frameworks to ensure consistency and accountability. 
• Provide strategic oversight across all program phases, from development through qualification, production ramp, and customer delivery. 
• Lead cross-functional alignment across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and commercial teams to meet milestones and business targets. 
• Drive organizational visibility through structured reviews, executive reporting, and performance tracking. 
• Identify and mitigate risks, capacity constraints, and execution gaps impacting program and business outcomes. 
• Lead decision-making forums, providing data-driven insights, trade-off analysis, and clear recommendations to leadership. 
• Oversee portfolio financials, including budgeting, forecasting, and resource planning. 
• Drive transition to high-volume manufacturing, including tool readiness, process maturity, yield, and production scaling. 
• Align with operations and supply chain to ensure capacity, material readiness, and production plans meet demand. 
• Lead execution of facility buildouts, tool installation, and fab startup, ensuring readiness across infrastructure, equipment, and process qualification. 
• Translate AOP objectives into executable program plans, aligning capital investments, resources, and timelines to business goals. 
• Monitor and drive performance against AOP targets, including capacity, ramp milestones, financial metrics, and customer deliverables. 
• Champion continuous improvement to enhance execution efficiency, scalability, and operational rigor. 
• Ensure compliance with internal processes, quality standards, and customer requirements across all programs.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
• PMP certification or equivalent strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive program/project and/or operations transformation experience, including leadership of large-scale, cross-functional initiatives in manufacturing environments.
• 7+ years in people leadership roles, building and managing Project Managers and/or PMO functions within global, matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-million-dollar programs across multiple sites/regions, with executive-level visibility and measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience managing capital purchases, coordinating with procurement to ensure timely delivery of critical materials and equipment, and overseeing asset and equipment transfers.
• Proven experience overseeing capital cash flow on a monthly and quarterly basis, ensuring alignment with budget and financial targets.
• Background in process engineering, operations, or related manufacturing domains is a strong plus.

Skills

• Strong leadership and organizational management capabilities with the ability to build and lead high-performing teams. 
• Deep understanding of semiconductor manufacturing, process development, and production environments. 
• Strategic thinker with the ability to connect program execution to broader business objectives. 
• Exceptional stakeholder and executive communication skills. 
• Strong business and financial acumen, including forecasting, budgeting, and prioritization. 
• Ability to drive alignment and execution across complex, matrixed organizations. 
• Expertise in program governance, risk management, and operational execution. 
• Proven ability to identify and implement process improvements at scale. 
• High level of accountability, ownership, and decision-making under ambiguity.

Working Conditions

• Work environment: various locations, occasional remote, and manufacturing floor settings.
• Domestic and international travel required (up to ~25%).
• Must be able to operate effectively across global time zones, including occasional off-hours engagement.
• Comfortable working in manufacturing environments, including exposure to machinery and chemicals.

ITAR/EAR and Other Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident, or protected individual).

Physical Requirements

• Long periods of sitting or standing (up to 4 hours at a time).

Safety Requirements

All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.

Quality and Environmental Responsibilities

Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.

Culture Commitment

Ensure adherence to company's values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:

Integrity - Create an Environment of Trust

Collaboration - Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas

Accountability - Own the Process and the Outcome

Respect - Recognize the Value in Everyone

Enthusiasm - Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while rewarding excellence and hard-work through a competitive compensation program. It's an exciting opportunity to work for a company that offers stability, longevity and growth. Come Join Us!
Note to recruiters and employment agencies: We will not pay for unsolicited resumes from recruiters and employment agencies unless we have a signed agreement and have required assistance, in writing, for a specific opening.