Program Manager, Manufacturing & NPI

The role

You will own the manufacturing plan that takes products from released design to delivered hardware, on time, at cost and ready for rate. You will run the new product introduction process, manufacturing schedules, and major projects such as a new Calgary facility and MES, ERP and PLM rollouts.

What you will do

• Own the integrated manufacturing schedule for the CM70 and future products.
• Translate customer and engineering milestones into build plans with gates, owners and dates.
• Run manufacturing risk, issue and hard-stops registers and drive closure plans weekly.
• Track program cost, budget versus actuals, and the cost impact of design and supplier changes.
• Build and own a stage-gate NPI process from prototype through rate production.
• Lead manufacturing readiness reviews against Manufacturing Readiness Levels.
• Coordinate engineering changes from design to the floor through the change control board.
• Project-manage the stand-up of the new manufacturing facility.
• Lead the project plan for MES (Eyelit), ERP and PLM/PDM rollouts with the Head of Manufacturing and IT.
• Serve as the single point of coordination between Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, Security and the company-wide Project Manager.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (manufacturing, mechanical, industrial, aerospace or similar), or an equivalent technical discipline from an accredited program and institution.
• 5+ years of program or project management in a hardware manufacturing environment, with direct ownership of NPI, production ramps or production programs.
• Track record building and running integrated schedules with real dependencies and getting hardware out on time.
• Experience running stage-gate or phase-gate product development or NPI processes, including readiness reviews and design-freeze discipline.
• Working knowledge of engineering change control, bills of materials and configuration management.
• Strong command of planning tools (MS Project, Smartsheet, monday.com or similar) and of data in Excel, Power BI or similar.
• Experience managing budgets and cost tracking for programs or capital projects.
• Ability to read engineering drawings and bills of materials.
• Clear, direct communication with technicians, engineers, executives, suppliers and customers.
• Eligibility for a Government of Canada security clearance and registration under the Controlled Goods Program.
• A builder's mindset with ownership of outcomes, comfortable on the floor and in leadership reviews.

Nice to have

• PMP, PgMP or equivalent program management certification.
• Experience in a UAS, aerospace, munitions or defence manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with MRL, APQP (AS9145) and AS9100 requirements.
• Experience leading an ERP, MES or PLM implementation, or a facility stand-up, relocation or production line transfer.
• Exposure to earned value management and government or defence contract deliverables, including DND or allied program reporting.
• Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma experience (Green Belt or higher).
• Exposure to electromechanical assembly, additive manufacturing, PCBA or energetics production.
• P.Eng. or EIT designation, or eligibility for registration in Alberta or conversion from an eligible province.

Benefits

• Real ownership from day one in building foundational systems and processes.
• Work on technology that matters at a national and global level.
• Tight-knit, high-calibre team that moves fast.
• Competitive compensation and meaningful upside from an early-stage company.

Before you apply

• Eligibility for a Government of Canada security clearance and registration under the Controlled Goods Program is required; active clearance is a significant asset.

About the company

North Vector Dynamics is a Canadian-owned and controlled defence technology company specializing in precision interception, autonomy and advanced propulsion. It is building a full-spectrum missile capability to serve and defend NATO member states and their allies and partners.