G&H (Gooch & Housego)
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Program Director - Special Projects
role at
G&H (Gooch & Housego)
Company Overview G&H is a global leader in photonics engineering, delivering precision optical and photonic subsystems across aerospace & defense, industrial, telecom, life sciences, and other mission-critical markets. Our commitment to innovation and operational excellence drives growth, customer satisfaction, and technological leadership worldwide.
Job Type Full-time
Role Overview The
Program Director – Special Projects
will lead the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of this high-visibility, multi-functional site growth and copy‑exact move process. This role requires strategic vision, operational discipline, and hands‑on leadership to coordinate cross‑functional teams, align stakeholders, and ensure the target site achieves operational readiness, compliance, and excellence consistent with existing process standards.
The successful candidate will be a
proactive, results‑oriented leader
capable of navigating complex operational environments, managing risks, and driving alignment across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, HR, and executive leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Own and manage all aspects of special projects, from planning and scope definition through go‑live and operational stabilization.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive project plan including scope, schedule, milestones, risks, budget, and resource allocation.
Ensure seamless knowledge and capability transfer from one site to another including processes, systems, standards, and best practices.
Cross‑Functional Stakeholder Management
Serve as the primary liaison between any sites involved in the process, aligning operations, engineering, supply chain, quality, HR, facilities, and EHS functions.
Engage with executive leadership and other stakeholders to ensure visibility, accountability, and decision‑making support.
Foster collaboration, alignment, and strong communication across sites and functional teams.
Operational Readiness & Compliance
Drive readiness activities at the target site: process validation, equipment qualification, workforce preparation, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure operational excellence in production ramp‑up, quality standards, and safety/environmental protocols.
Risk, Issue, & Resource Management
Identify, track, and proactively mitigate risks and issues throughout the program lifecycle.
Oversee project budget, staffing plans, and external vendor or contractor coordination as needed.
Continuous Improvement & Knowledge Transfer
Capture lessons learned and apply best practices for copy‑exact manufacturing processes and operational scaling.
Standardize processes and drive operational efficiency improvements across sites.
Support organizational learning and change management initiatives to enable a smooth transition and sustainable operations.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical field; advanced degrees preferred (MBA, MS, or equivalent).
10+ years of progressive program or project management experience in manufacturing, engineering, or operations‑driven organizations.
Proven experience leading large‑scale replication, facility start‑up, or operational transformation programs.
Strong cross‑functional leadership across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, EHS, and HR.
Demonstrated success managing complex projects with tight timelines, multiple stakeholders, and evolving priorities.
Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and stakeholder management skills.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently (up to 40–50%) between key east coast sites.
Preferred Qualifications & Attributes
PMP or equivalent program management certification.
Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience.
Familiarity with photonics, optics, aerospace/defense, or high‑precision manufacturing sectors.
Strategic, hands‑on, and solutions‑oriented leader.
Collaborative and influential across geographies and organizational levels.
Comfortable managing both operational details and executive‑level strategic priorities.
Key Metrics of Success
Achievement of project milestones, go‑live, and operational readiness at target site.
Adherence to project budget, schedule, and risk mitigation plans.
Effective cross‑site knowledge transfer and capability replication.
Stakeholder engagement, communication effectiveness, and change management outcomes.
Operational excellence post‑go‑live: quality, compliance, and production efficiency.
Documentation of lessons learned and implementation of process improvements.
Working Conditions & Travel
Primarily based in Trinity, Tampa, FL, with regular presence at Keene, NH, and other G&H sites as required.
Fast‑paced, dynamic environment requiring adaptability, resilience, and proactive problem‑solving.
Equal Employment Opportunity The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.
U.S. Export Control Laws In the instance that the position will involve having access to items and technical data that may be controlled under U.S. export laws and regulations (“U.S. Export Control Laws”), including but not limited to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). To comply with the U.S. Export Control Laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within G&H that may present access to export‑controlled technical data, G&H must assess whether candidates are “U.S. persons” as defined under the EAR (15 C.F.R. Part 772) and the ITAR (22 C.F.R. 120.15). Certain questions asked during the application process are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this position.
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Program Director - Special Projects
role at
G&H (Gooch & Housego)
Company Overview G&H is a global leader in photonics engineering, delivering precision optical and photonic subsystems across aerospace & defense, industrial, telecom, life sciences, and other mission-critical markets. Our commitment to innovation and operational excellence drives growth, customer satisfaction, and technological leadership worldwide.
Job Type Full-time
Role Overview The
Program Director – Special Projects
will lead the end-to-end planning, execution, and delivery of this high-visibility, multi-functional site growth and copy‑exact move process. This role requires strategic vision, operational discipline, and hands‑on leadership to coordinate cross‑functional teams, align stakeholders, and ensure the target site achieves operational readiness, compliance, and excellence consistent with existing process standards.
The successful candidate will be a
proactive, results‑oriented leader
capable of navigating complex operational environments, managing risks, and driving alignment across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, HR, and executive leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Own and manage all aspects of special projects, from planning and scope definition through go‑live and operational stabilization.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive project plan including scope, schedule, milestones, risks, budget, and resource allocation.
Ensure seamless knowledge and capability transfer from one site to another including processes, systems, standards, and best practices.
Cross‑Functional Stakeholder Management
Serve as the primary liaison between any sites involved in the process, aligning operations, engineering, supply chain, quality, HR, facilities, and EHS functions.
Engage with executive leadership and other stakeholders to ensure visibility, accountability, and decision‑making support.
Foster collaboration, alignment, and strong communication across sites and functional teams.
Operational Readiness & Compliance
Drive readiness activities at the target site: process validation, equipment qualification, workforce preparation, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure operational excellence in production ramp‑up, quality standards, and safety/environmental protocols.
Risk, Issue, & Resource Management
Identify, track, and proactively mitigate risks and issues throughout the program lifecycle.
Oversee project budget, staffing plans, and external vendor or contractor coordination as needed.
Continuous Improvement & Knowledge Transfer
Capture lessons learned and apply best practices for copy‑exact manufacturing processes and operational scaling.
Standardize processes and drive operational efficiency improvements across sites.
Support organizational learning and change management initiatives to enable a smooth transition and sustainable operations.
Required Qualifications & Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical field; advanced degrees preferred (MBA, MS, or equivalent).
10+ years of progressive program or project management experience in manufacturing, engineering, or operations‑driven organizations.
Proven experience leading large‑scale replication, facility start‑up, or operational transformation programs.
Strong cross‑functional leadership across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, EHS, and HR.
Demonstrated success managing complex projects with tight timelines, multiple stakeholders, and evolving priorities.
Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and stakeholder management skills.
Willingness and ability to travel frequently (up to 40–50%) between key east coast sites.
Preferred Qualifications & Attributes
PMP or equivalent program management certification.
Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience.
Familiarity with photonics, optics, aerospace/defense, or high‑precision manufacturing sectors.
Strategic, hands‑on, and solutions‑oriented leader.
Collaborative and influential across geographies and organizational levels.
Comfortable managing both operational details and executive‑level strategic priorities.
Key Metrics of Success
Achievement of project milestones, go‑live, and operational readiness at target site.
Adherence to project budget, schedule, and risk mitigation plans.
Effective cross‑site knowledge transfer and capability replication.
Stakeholder engagement, communication effectiveness, and change management outcomes.
Operational excellence post‑go‑live: quality, compliance, and production efficiency.
Documentation of lessons learned and implementation of process improvements.
Working Conditions & Travel
Primarily based in Trinity, Tampa, FL, with regular presence at Keene, NH, and other G&H sites as required.
Fast‑paced, dynamic environment requiring adaptability, resilience, and proactive problem‑solving.
Equal Employment Opportunity The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.
U.S. Export Control Laws In the instance that the position will involve having access to items and technical data that may be controlled under U.S. export laws and regulations (“U.S. Export Control Laws”), including but not limited to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). To comply with the U.S. Export Control Laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within G&H that may present access to export‑controlled technical data, G&H must assess whether candidates are “U.S. persons” as defined under the EAR (15 C.F.R. Part 772) and the ITAR (22 C.F.R. 120.15). Certain questions asked during the application process are intended to assess this and will be used for evaluation purposes only. Failure to provide the necessary information in this regard will result in our inability to consider you further for this position.
#J-18808-Ljbffr