Sr Technical Program Manager, Project Kuiper
Amazon
DESCRIPTION
Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network. Its mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities around the world, and we’ve designed the system with the capacity, flexibility, and performance to serve a wide range of customers, from individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.
The Kuiper Electronic Supply Chain team is seeking a Sr Operations Technical Program Manager to drive technical manufacturing and supply chain operations for Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBA) destined for our satellites. This role is based out of Guadalajara, Mexico with the expectation of being on-site 100% of the time at our Contract Manufacturers. Travel is expected up to 50% of the time primarily between Mexico and the US, occasional international travel might be required.
The ideal candidate will spearhead the management of comprehensive production processes at our contract manufacturing partners. This role encompasses overseeing operations from initial setup through final delivery, with a critical focus on Manufacturing Process Qualification (MPQ) validation and continuous improvement of yield and capacity. The successful applicant will integrate Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to enhance product quality and production efficiency, while also employing Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to proactively identify and mitigate potential issues. Regular assessments of manufacturing efficiency and output will be conducted, with strategies implemented to optimize performance. This position demands a delicate balance between driving process enhancements and ensuring timely fulfillment of customer orders. The right candidate must skillfully navigate complex manufacturing environments, maintaining a keen focus on output targets and quality standards while consistently meeting delivery requirements.
This position may require access to information, technology, or hardware that is subject to export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Employment in this position is contingent upon obtaining any required export licenses or other approvals from the United States government. As such, the successful candidate must be eligible to obtain any necessary export licenses or approvals based on their nationality, citizenship, and any other factors considered by the applicable export control regulations.
Key job responsibilities
• Manage contract manufacturers' end-to-end production process for assigned PCBAs
• Ensure on-time delivery to meet Kuiper production rate requirements
• Drive production planning and execution aligned with cross-functional priorities
• Measure, Control and Improve capacity, quality, manufacturing rate/processes, and delivery KPIs at contract manufacturers
• Lead technical deep dives to resolve manufacturing blockers and constraints
• Balance development and engineering needs to minimize production impacts
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives to optimize production efficiency
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate supply chain risks
• Develop and maintain supplier performance metrics and reporting systems
A day in the life
As a Sr Operations Technical Program Manager at Kuiper, you'll start your day reviewing upcoming deliveries, blockers and constraints, production metrics and WIP status across your assigned contract manufacturers. You'll participate in daily production meetings to address, update and escalate immediate issues and coordinate with cross-functional teams’ path-to-green to resolve shipments. Throughout the day, you'll analyze production performance data to identify bottlenecks, conduct deep-dive investigations into constraints, and work with suppliers to implement process improvements to ensure production current and future rates and deliveries are met and sustainable.
You might spend time in technical reviews with engineering teams to evaluate new design requirements, impact analysis/trade-offs or travel to supplier sites for hands-on problem-solving and capacity planning. You'll regularly present performance updates to leadership, support Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews (MBR’s and QBR’s), and collaborate with other program managers to optimize shared production resources. You’ll help develop more junior team members through mentoring and modeling of effective practices. The role requires a balance of tactical execution and strategic thinking to ensure both daily delivery and long-term manufacturing capability needs are met.
About the team
At Amazon, we embrace our differences and are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. Our team has a broad mix of experience levels and Amazon tenures, and we're building an environment that celebrates knowledge sharing and mentorship. We operate with high standards and a strong sense of ownership, working backwards from our customers' needs to deliver innovative solutions in satellite manufacturing.