Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Customer Program Manager (CPM) to lead cross-functional program execution and customer alignment. The CPM acts as the primary interface between the customer and internal teams to manage high-stakes program execution, track commercial risk, and deliver on revenue and margin targets without relying on direct line authority.

Detailed Description

Performs tasks such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Cross-Functional Leadership & Matrix Management: Lead matrixed cross-functional teams (Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering) to achieve milestone dates and project deliverables without direct line authority.
• Customer & Commercial Management: Serve as the primary point of contact for customer accounts; track customer commitments, prevent scope creep, monitor revenue exposure, and ensure continuous alignment between customer forecasts and factory capacity.
• Crisis Management & Problem Solving: Drive root-cause analysis (RCA) and resolve high-stakes yield, delivery, or quality crises under extreme time constraints while preserving strong customer relationships.
• Financial Control & Exposure Management: Actively monitor program financials by tracking NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) costs, scrap/rework expenses, and inventory levels to minimize excess exposure and protect program profitability.
• Executive Communication & De-escalation: Maintain strong executive presence while communicating tough news (delays, yield issues, capacity bottlenecks) to demanding customer stakeholders while maintaining trust and transparency.
• Program Reviews & Operations Alignment: Host regular status tracking meetings with customer and internal teams. Provide performance reporting and analysis for monthly Operations Reviews and quarterly Customer Performance Reviews (CPRs).
• Global Support Alignment: Support flexible communication hours (20–30% off-shift) as needed to align with global/US customer time zones.

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Supply Chain, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Experience: 8 – 10 years of experience in program management, manufacturing operations, or customer-facing technical account management.
• Leadership: Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization without direct supervisory authority.
• Commercial & Financial Acumen: Demonstrated ability in managing scope creep, tracking NRE costs, scrap/rework expenses, excess inventory, and understanding contract pricing structures.
• Crisis & Conflict Resolution: Demonstrated experience navigating high-pressure delivery or quality crises using structured problem-solving (e.g., RCA, 8D) and executive-level de-escalation skills.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills with an ability to build trust with aggressive or demanding customer teams.

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.