Program Manager

About the Company

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, tracing back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone over a century ago. With a proven track record of industry firsts—including application-specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium-doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, and fiber gratings—our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions. We design, manufacture, and supply the best optical fibers, fiber cable, components, and devices, delivering exceptional service to create value for our shareholders, customers, and employees. As a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, LIGHTERA drives communication networks, data centers, and specialty photonics applications with high-performance technologies that enable faster, more reliable, and sustainable connections worldwide.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., LIGHTERA operates with a global footprint, serving customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets. LIGHTERA is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a multi-billion-dollar leader in optical communications.

About the Role

We are seeking a Program Manager to join our Specialty division in Avon, CT, to support continued business growth. This position is responsible for planning and managing programs for new product development, product revisions, process improvements, or other business initiatives with cross-functional teams based in the Avon facility and other LIGHTERA locations. The role involves delivering programs on time and within budget to meet or exceed customer requirements.

Responsibilities

• Plan new projects and programs, including product development, process development, cost reduction, and capital implementation.
• Prepare gate reviews in collaboration with marketing or business development.
• Lead and document cross-functional team activities from planning through execution.
• Monitor and manage scope, risk, schedule, cost, and technical performance.
• Plan for and obtain required resources, including prioritizing staffing and capital expenditures.
• Act as the program champion and communicate program progress and problems to management.
• Track product and program changes, focusing resources on resolving issues and eliminating roadblocks.
• Maintain documentation of project activities in accordance with quality system procedures.
• Understand and adhere to internal and external quality system procedures; provide guidance to the project team on quality systems as needed.
• Support sales and marketing in educating customers and selling new products.
• Collaborate with procurement and engineering to establish program supply chains; monitor supplier delivery commitments and manage effects on project schedules.
• Identify internal and external customer needs to align LIGHTERA programs with the strategic direction of the business, including aiding in contract negotiations and changes.
• Prepare proposals, plans, specifications, and financial conditions of contracts.
• Write program Cost Estimating Relationships (CERs) and manage costs to meet the CER budget.
• Improve the program management process by capturing lessons learned and institutionalizing best practices; act as an advisor to program teams.
• Resolve conflicts within teams and among stakeholders to keep projects moving forward.
• Conduct difficult conversations, such as addressing resource overloading or terminating projects that no longer provide value.

Requirements

• B.S. degree in a technical field with 5–15 years of program management expertise across the full product life cycle within a phase-gate development process.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-location scale-ups and complex technology transfers.
• Demonstrated leadership in facilitating and motivating cross-functional teams.
• Ability to plan activities toward a goal in a logical sequence.
• Basic business finance awareness (ability to review product cost models and understand project cash flow).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Project strongly preferred.
• Prior experience with optical fiber or cabling technology.
• PMP Certification preferred.
• Experience working under ISO 9001, ISO 13485, or AS9100 quality systems.
• Experience interfacing with outside customers.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, and well-being.
• Company-sponsored 401(k) plan with a generous match and no vesting period.
• Tuition assistance, on-the-job training, and opportunities for growth and advancement (promote from within).
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) program and paid holidays.
• Casual work environment with PPE, safety eyeglass, and shoe allowance.
• Clean, climate-controlled, modern facility with state-of-the-art equipment.

Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors, including following health and safety policies, maintaining a clean work area, wearing and properly storing PPE, and prioritizing personal safety and wellness.