Director, Program Management

Our client, a leading gaming and entertainment products company in Elk Grove Village, IL is seeking a Director of Program Management to lead complex product development, manufacturing launch, and retail readiness programs.

This role sits at the center of product development, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, sales, and channel execution. The company designs and manufactures highly creative physical products that combine mechanical systems, electronics, software, art, licensing, and production operations.

The ideal candidate has led programs in a complex engineered product environment such as gaming, consumer electronics, automotive, arcade entertainment, hardware products, or electromechanical manufacturing.

About The Role

The Director of Program Management will own the operating cadence that brings new products from concept through production launch. This person will create structure, visibility, accountability, and execution discipline across cross-functional teams. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can operate at both the executive planning level and the detailed manufacturing launch level.

Key ResponsibilitesLead the end-to-end New Product Introduction process from concept through post-launch review.

Build and manage master program schedules covering design, engineering, prototype builds, validation, manufacturing readiness, and production ramp. Lead formal stage-gate reviews with clear deliverables, ownership, timing, risks, and executive visibility.

Partner with manufacturing, supply chain, quality, engineering, and operations to ensure products are validated, documented, and ready for repeatable production. Support Design for Manufacturability and Design for Assembly principles early in the product development process.

Lead recurring program meetings and executive reviews across engineering, creative, licensing, manufacturing, sales, supply chain, and operations. Identify dependencies, bottlenecks, and risks across mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, software, art, manufacturing, and quality.

Drive accountability across teams without relying solely on direct authority.

Help teams make smart tradeoff decisions involving timing, cost, quality, scope, customer expectations, and business priorities. Lead readiness efforts for strategic retail, distributor, and channel partnerships. Coordinate internal reviews related to quality controls, packaging, labeling, shipping documentation, routing guides, and retailer compliance requirements.

Standardize program management tools, templates, dashboards, reporting formats, milestone trackers, launch checklists, and risk registers. Create executive-level visibility into program health, launch readiness, decisions, risks, and timing. Continuously improve PMO discipline and product launch processes.

What We're Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in program management, PMO leadership, technical program management, manufacturing program management, product launch, or operations leadership.
• Experience leading complex programs involving physical products, manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality, and commercial readiness.
• Background in gaming, consumer electronics, automotive, arcade products, entertainment hardware, industrial products, hardware manufacturing, or other electromechanical product environments.
• Strong understanding of product development, prototype builds, production ramp, manufacturing readiness, and launch execution.
• Experience with retailer compliance, routing guides, packaging requirements, distributor requirements, or national account readiness is strongly preferred.
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence teams without direct authority.
• Excellent planning, milestone management, risk management, and decision-tracking skills.
• Ability to balance speed, quality, cost, risk, customer expectations, and business priorities.
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to simplify complex technical, operational, and manufacturing issues.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Project, Excel, Smartsheet, or similar program management tools.
• Experience with Jira, Confluence, PLM, MES, ERP, or manufacturing systems is helpful.
• Familiarity with Stage Gate, APQP, FMEA, DFM, DFA, or similar structured product development processes is preferred.
• Education
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, Product Development, or a related field is preferred.
• Equivalent hands-on experience in manufacturing leadership, product launch, technical program management, or operations leadership will also be considered.
• Why This Role Matters
• This role is critical to bringing complex entertainment products to market with stronger alignment, better launch discipline, and cleaner execution.
• The Director of Program Management will help connect creative product development with manufacturing reality, ensuring new products are launched on time, with clear ownership, quality, and readiness across the organization.