Req ID: 142264
Remote Position: Yes
Region: Americas
Country: USA
Summary
HPS (Hardware Platform Solutions), part of Celestica, designs and delivers data center hardware with leading hyper scale and technology customers. As Technical and Customer Facing Program Director, you are the single accountable technical owner of a strategic customer program, from concept through new product introduction (NPI) to volume ramp.
You report to VP of Operations Engineering act as the customer's primary technical contact, and lead a matrixed team of hardware, software, systems engineering, program management and new product development teams as one program team. You also work closely with supplier development, manufacturing and site NPI.
Detailed Description
Key responsibilities - Program delivery: own the integrated program plan (schedule, milestones, phase gates, budget, risks) and drive it through EVT/DVT/PPVT/PVT/Optimization, NPI and ramp to agreed quality, cost and time targets.
- Phase-gate governance: ensures alignment at phase gate reviews with clear entry and exit criteria and make go/no-go recommendations.
- Customer engagement: serve as the customer's primary technical contact; set and run the engagement cadence, from weekly technical syncs to quarterly business reviews.
- Escalation: own the customer escalation path and resolve issues at the lowest effective level.
- Cross-functional leadership: lead engineering and program teams through a matrix; set priorities and resolve trade-offs on design, resources and schedule.
- Operating model: define and apply the program RACI, decision rights, change control and reporting.
- Manufacturing readiness: bring design-for-manufacturability and design-for-test input in early, and confirm test readiness and process capability before each build.
- Supply chain alignment: align supplier qualification, material readiness and line readiness with the program schedule.
- Reporting: report program health to senior leadership and the customer, and close review actions on time.
Knowledge/Skills/Competencies
What success looks like - Phase gates and customer milestones met on plan.
- Strong first-pass yield at each build, with manufacturability and test findings closed before NPI.
- Program cost on budget.
- High customer satisfaction and escalations resolved quickly.
What we look for - Ownership: you treat the product quality as your own.
- Systems thinking: you see how hardware, software, test and manufacturing decisions affect each other.
- Influence: you lead teams and partners through clarity and credibility, not reporting lines.
- Customer credibility: you earn trust with senior customer stakeholders and raise problems early, with a plan.
- Decisiveness and discipline: you make trade-off calls with incomplete information and run a tight operating cadence.
- Global mindset: you work well across North American and Asian teams.
Physical Demands
Typical Experience
- 15+ years in hardware product development, including 7+ years leading complex technical programs.
- Experience delivering data center, server, storage or networking hardware for hyperscale or tier-1 OEM customers.
- Proven track record taking products through EVT/DVT/PVT, NPI and volume ramp in a JDM, ODM or EMS environment.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams across multiple sites and time zones.
- Strong working knowledge of DFM, DFT, test strategy and manufacturing process capability.
- Customer-facing experience at senior technical and executive level.
Typical Education
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer or Systems Engineering, or equivalent.
Preferred - Master's degree in engineering or an MBA.
- PMP or equivalent certification.
- Experience working with manufacturing partners in Asia.
Notes
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.
Celestica is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.
This policy applies to hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral and other aspects of employment and also states that retaliation against a person who files a charge of discrimination, participates in a discrimination proceeding, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment practice will not be tolerated. All information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Celestica is an E-Verify employer.
Location: This is a remote position, with travel as necessary. We are open to considering candidates close to any of our US locations in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas, Arizona, Oregon or California as well as locations near major airports such as the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest and Pacific Coast.
COMPANY OVERVIEW: Celestica, Inc. (NYSE: CLS; TSX: CLS) is a technology leader dedicated to driving customer success and market advancements. With deep expertise in design, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and platform solutions, Celestica enables critical data center infrastructure for AI, cloud, and hybrid cloud and advances technologies in high-growth markets. With a talented team and a strategic global network, Celestica helps its customers achieve competitive advantages.
Today, Celestica delivers innovative supply chain solutions globally to customers in strategic two operating and reporting segments: Advanced Technology Solutions (ATS) and Connectivity and Cloud Solutions (CC):
ATS: This segment serves customers in complex, regulated and high-reliability markets such as Industrial & Smart Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Semiconductor Capital Equipment, and HealthTech. It is engineering led, with deep expertise in design, manufacturing and lifecycle solutions.
CCS: This segment focuses on high-performance technology solutions and services for the data center, serving hyperscalers, digital native customers and enterprises. Celestica's Platform Solutions offering provides innovative and customizable computing, storage and networking solutions enabling AI-driven growth.
Built on a legacy of trust and performance, Celestica has earned its reputation by delivering results in complex and fast-changing markets. Celestica exceeds customer expectations by identifying trends and staying ahead of the curve. Backed by comprehensive capabilities and a global network across North America, Europe and Asia, Celestica helps customers gain competitive advantage with the quality, flexibility and resiliency they need to respond quickly to shifts in demand. Guided by a bold vision to accelerate market advancements, Celestica delivers innovative solutions and technologies that turn complexity into opportunity. Anchored in teamwork and commitment, Celestica strives to be the most trusted partner to its customers and colleagues worldwide.
Celestica would like to thank all applicants, however, only qualified applicants will be contacted.
Celestica does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies or fee based recruitment services.
