Sr Program Manager

Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Hybrid

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the integrated program delivery plan.
• Translate agreed commitments into milestones, deliverables, accountable owners and acceptance criteria.
• Connect milestones for new product introduction, qualification, supply readiness, and production ramp to customer schedules, including product transfers where applicable.
• Track performance against commitments and drive corrective actions with the teams responsible for execution.
• Drive timely resolution of conflicting priorities and resource constraints, escalating tradeoffs to the appropriate decision makers.
• Establish and run the operating cadence for assigned strategic customers. Lead weekly reviews focused on commitments, delivery performance, risks, recovery plans, and required decisions.
• Maintain a consolidated, fact-based view of customer program health, including backlog versus delivery, qualification readiness, critical dependencies, and revenue at risk.
• Prepare and present program updates and decision materials for executive reviews.
• Maintain a consolidated risk register. Identify risks early, assess customer impact, and establish mitigation and recovery plans with named owners and completion dates.
• Support leadership team with timely, accurate, and consistent program communication on status updates and risk.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve delivery processes, reduce recurring execution gaps, and scale program management practices as customer requirements grow.
• Coach and mentor cross-functional team members to strengthen planning, risk management, and escalation discipline.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in related engineering field.
• 5 to 10 years of program management or project management industry experience, with a proven track record of successful on-time program delivery.
• Understanding of optical line system and coherent modem/pluggable technologies is a strong plus for this role.

Qualifications

• Experience in technology program management, operations, or product management, including leadership of complex programs across multiple businesses, functions, or geographies.
• Experience with hardware development, qualification, and production ramps, preferably in optical line system and coherent modem/pluggable industries.
• Strong capability in integrated planning, dependency management, risk assessment and recovery execution.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and resolve competing priorities constructively, along with experience leading culturally and technically diverse teams across regions.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional initiatives, including coaching or mentoring other team members.
• Executive presence and the ability to explain the customer impact of technical and operational issues and identify the executive decisions required.
• Sound judgment in ambiguous, high-pressure situations, with a results-oriented approach.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with proficiency in using data and analytics to assess performance and support decisions.

 

Working Conditions

• Hybrid role. Remote work is possible but on site is preferred.
• May require occasional overtime and flexibility in work hours to accommodate global cross-functional team over different geographic areas.

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.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at talentacquisition@coherent.com.

About Us

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.


Reporting to VP & GM, this Program Manager will work with cross-functional team and be responsible for integrated program delivery for assigned strategic customers. As the internal facing program manager, the candidate will partner closely with R&D, Product Management, System Architecture, Sales, Operations, Quality, and Sourcing to manage dependencies, resolve issues, and provide an accurate, consolidated view of program performance. Through reliable execution and consistent communication, this Program Manager will help support Coherent’s ability to expand strategic customer engagements. Understanding of optical line system and coherent modem/pluggable technologies is a strong plus for this role.