System Engineering Program Manager

Mill is all about answering a simple question: how can we prevent waste? Less waste can save time, money, energy, maybe even our planet. And there’s no better place to start than food. Food waste is one of the most solvable climate problems facing us today. Plus, our trash really stinks. It’s gross, heavy, and our least favorite chore. At Mill we are striving to build a better environment for all, as we take on climate and kitchen change.

Objectives of this role:

System EPMs must be fearless organizers who are ready to work with the highly skilled hardware, software, mechanical design and industrial design teams to identify and resolve potential risks to the schedule and risks to the quality of the product. Success is defined in terms of the quality and timeliness of the pre-production builds and the start of mass production. System EPMs need to have a strong understanding of development and manufacturing processes, from part design to circuit board manufacturing to production line bring-up. 

We are looking for someone who is flexible and can respond quickly, energetically, and enthusiastically to changes. Cross-functional communication skills and experience are essential. The System EPM will interact with all engineering design disciplines plus reliability, marketing, packaging, operations, and other resources inside and outside of Mill. 

• Great leadership skills and ability to inspire team members
• Excellent communication, organizational and leadership skills
• Ability to filter and distill relevant information for the right audience
• Self motivated and proactive with demonstrated creative and critical thinking capabilities
• Understands and deals well with rapid development cycles; remains flexible and calm in the face of uncertainty.

The System EPM will be responsible for:

• Creation of overall program plan
• Key point of contact for all cross-functional teams for hardware projects
• Track and ensure closure of engineering status and issues
• Responsible for planning and executing engineering builds  
• Executing post ramp part qualifications 
• Be self-directed with the ability to review changes and weigh tradeoffs between engineering resources and operational improvements
• Program budget forecast and management
• Drive deep dives for consistent module and system level completion. 
• Status/Exec communications while driving day-to-day program activities to meet overall program objectives.
• Provide timely issue resolution and critical path management

Major responsibilities: 

• Support system definition and drive closure of architecture and technical opens in the early stages of a project.
• Identify and highlight technical risk areas and mitigation strategies 
• Grasp complex technical topics and abstract key issues. 
• Driving technical issues to closure by bringing together key partners for decision making.
• Drive drawing releases and any soft or hard tool kickoff with PD Engineering team and vendors.
• Support NPI (New Product Introduction) and Sustaining build events. Assist operations team in material planning, CTB (clear to build) and factory readiness where necessary. 
• Travel domestically and internationally (Mexico) to support engineering build events.

Qualifications

• 8 years experience managing cross-functional teams across various program stages(architecture, integration, validation). Proven track record of managing complex hardware product schedules and engineering. 
• Strong technical background. Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering. Understanding of FW/SW preferred.
• Knowledge of product development processes as well as an understanding of manufacturing processes, mechanical engineering fundamentals; prior experience with metal stamping, forging, machining (CNC), die casting, and plastic injection.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.

Education & Experience

• BS ME degree required, MS or MBA desired

The estimated base salary range for this position is $180k to $225k, which does not include the value of benefits or a potential equity grant. A wide range of factors are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, market conditions, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and business and organizational needs.