Program specialist Jobs in Ottawa, ON

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!

Lumentum Canada was awarded the 2022 National Capital Region’s Top Employers and the 2022 Career Directory Canada’s Best Employers for Recent Graduates .

Position Title: Product Engineering Program Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, Existing vacancy

Location: Ottawa (On-Site)

About Lumentum

At Lumentum, we’re building the tech behind the world’s fastest networks and most advanced systems. Our optical and photonic solutions power everything from AI and cloud computing to data centers, telecom, and advanced manufacturing.

We’re a global team of innovators working where light meets technology, solving big challenges that keep the world connected and moving forward. If shaping the future of connectivity excites you, you’ll fit right in.

Why You’ll Love This Role

At Lumentum, we are searching for Canada’s brightest young minds engineers and innovators who want to build the next generation of optical technology. If you are driven by curiosity, eager to solve real-world challenges, and excited about developing groundbreaking optical systems, this is your opportunity.

Join us in designing the future of optical cloud & networking technology our advanced photonic modules power the world’s voice and internet traffic, and we need your expertise to take them to the next level. This is not just another job; this is your chance to define & design what’s next in photonics.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Product Engineering Program Manager to join our Engineering Quality organization. This role combines technical engineering knowledge with project management to lead engineering change activities across multiple optical networking product families.

The successful candidate will work closely with Product Engineering, R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Release Management, Customer Quality Engineering, and Program Management to ensure engineering changes are evaluated, implemented, and communicated effectively while minimizing technical and business risk.

What You’ll Be Doing

The Product Engineering Program Manager is responsible for coordinating and driving engineering changes throughout the product lifecycle. This includes leading Change Control Board (CCB) activities, managing Product Change Notifications (PCNs/PxNs), facilitating technical risk assessments, and ensuring engineering changes are implemented efficiently and with appropriate stakeholder alignment.

This role requires someone who can understand technical issues, organize cross-functional teams, drive decisions, and maintain momentum across multiple concurrent projects. The successful candidate will also identify opportunities to improve existing change management processes through standardization, automation, and performance metrics.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Change Management

• Coordinate engineering change requests from initiation through implementation and closure.
• Review change requests for completeness and work with engineering teams to resolve gaps before entering the approval process.
• Coordinate technical reviews involving Product Engineering, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Customer Quality Engineering, and Release Management.
• Drive engineering changes to completion while maintaining implementation schedules and ensuring action items are closed on time.
• Monitor engineering change metrics and communicate status to stakeholders.

Change Control Board Administration

• Plan, schedule, and facilitate Change Control Board meetings.
• Establish meeting agendas and priorities.
• Document decisions, risks, required actions, and ownership.
• Ensure appropriate technical representation is present for each review.
• Maintain CCB records and reporting.
• Develop and report KPIs that measure change management performance.

Product Change Notification Management

• Coordinate customer Product Change Notifications (PCNs/PxNs) from initiation through customer approval and closure.
• Create and manage PxNs within Agile PLM.
• Coordinate required deliverables and implementation schedules across functional organizations.
• Chair internal and customer-facing PxN meetings.
• Maintain action logs, meeting minutes, and customer communication records.
• Work closely with Release Management to coordinate customer notifications and implementation timing.

Technical Risk Management

• Facilitate cross-functional technical risk assessments associated with engineering changes.
• Coordinate Root Cause Analysis (RCA), corrective actions, preventive actions, and mitigation plans when required.
• Evaluate manufacturing, quality, supply chain, customer, schedule, and cost impacts of proposed changes.
• Ensure technical decisions are supported by appropriate data and risk analysis.

Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve engineering change processes and reduce implementation cycle times.
• Develop metrics and dashboards to monitor process performance.
• Recommend improvements to Agile workflows and engineering change processes.
• Drive standardization of change management practices across multiple product families.

Project Coordination

• Manage multiple engineering change activities simultaneously across several product lines.
• Coordinate schedules and priorities across cross-functional teams.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to co-op students or project support resources involved in change administration.
• Escalate risks and issues that could impact implementation schedules or product quality.

What We’re Looking For

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Chemical Engineering.

Experience:

• 7+ years of experience in one or more of the following:Product EngineeringManufacturing EngineeringTechnical Program ManagementEngineering Project ManagementQuality EngineeringEngineering Operations

Required Qualifications:

• Experience coordinating cross-functional engineering projects involving multiple organizations.
• Strong understanding of engineering change management and product lifecycle management.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations or contract manufacturers.
• Technical knowledge of optical, electrical, or electromechanical products.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive activities to completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical networking products including WSS, OCS, OCM, optical amplifiers, or ROADM technologies.
• Experience with Agile PLM or similar Product Lifecycle Management systems.
• Experience administering Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), Change Requests (CCRs), and Product Change Notifications (PCNs/PxNs).
• Familiarity with quality tools including FMEA, 8D, 5 Whys, CAPA, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers and global production sites.
• Experience with Oracle, Jira, Confluence, Tableau, or similar enterprise tools.
• Project Management certification (PMP, CAPM, PRINCE2) or Lean Six Sigma certification is considered an asset.

Personal Attributes

• The successful candidate will:Be comfortable leading discussions involving technical and business stakeholders.Demonstrate sound judgment when evaluating technical risk and business impact.Be willing to challenge assumptions or raise concerns when product quality, customer satisfaction, or manufacturing readiness may be affected.Take ownership of issues and drive them through resolution.Be highly organized and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced engineering environment.Continuously look for opportunities to improve existing processes and eliminate inefficiencies.

Perks You’ll Love

• Flexible time off
• Health and wellness benefits (physical and mental)
• Tuition reimbursement and career growth support
• A workplace built for you: free gym, games room, prayer room
• Subsidized meals, free coffee/tea
• Employee stock options and incentive plans
• A collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture

Salary Range: $90,000 - $125,000 CAD (flexible).

Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In line with our commitment to being a great place to work, Lumentum offers competitive total rewards which may include annual bonus, equity, and comprehensive health and welfare benefits.

Join a Team That’s Shaping the Future

At Lumentum, we’re more than just a workplace—we’re a launchpad for creativity and innovation. We’re committed to celebrating your unique talents and helping you grow. Our guiding principles—Innovate, Engage, Deliver, Excel, and Win—aren’t just words; they’re the heart of what we do.

Let’s Build a Brighter Future Together!

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process. Your uniqueness makes us stronger, sparks creativity, and drives our success.

Join us—your future starts here!