Operations NPI Project Manager

Operations NPI Project Manager (Transportation)
Summary

VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace, and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications.

We are the people behind the products that help keep the world connected at home, school, work, at play, and everywhere in between. VIAVI employees are passionate about supporting customer success and we welcome people who bring their best every day to the company – to question, to collaborate and to push for solutions that will delight our customers.

The Ops NPI Project Manager will lead cross-functional Operations teams in the planning and execution of new product introductions — with an initial focus on Tips and Adaptors (T&A), the fiber optic interface accessories that connect diverse cable and connector types to VIAVI test instruments — ensuring a smooth and successful transition from design engineering to full-scale production at either a VIAVI owned factory or the factory of a contract manufacturing (CM) partner.

This role serves as the central Operations point of contact for all product launch activities, managing timelines, budgets, and risks to meet strategic business objectives focusing on schedule, quality, delivery, and cost. This role requires close collaboration across four R&D teams in the United States (Bothell, WA and Indianapolis, IN), Canada (Ottawa), and France (St. Etienne), as well as T&A contract manufacturers in China and Thailand.

Lead the Operations elements of the NPI process from project initiation through production launch, first customer shipment, and into volume production.

• Represent Operations on the cross functional NPI project team
• Drive integrated project planning to establish work commitments and dependencies between Operations and other functions
• Lead the Operations team to execute to the requirements of the Product Development Process (PDP), including functional deliverables to support project goals
• Drive Operations execution to plan including:
  • Alignment and documentation of project goals and metrics
  • Project resourcing
  • Management of work commitments across the Operations team, ensuring required deliverables are completed on time
  • Project expense (capital and operational) forecasting and performance to plan
  • Capacity planning and production ramp planning

Coordinate and manage a diverse operations team, including test engineering, manufacturing engineering, and supply chain; coordinate requirements and deliverables across four geographically dispersed R&D teams (Bothell, Indianapolis, Ottawa, St. Etienne), the extended internal team (product line management, service, finance, etc.), and external T&A manufacturing partners in China and Thailand.

Evaluate and drive convergence of NPI tracking and requirements management across all four R&D sites — currently split between Jira (Bothell) and VIAVI's standard Product Development Process (Indianapolis, Ottawa, St. Etienne) — to a single unified tool, a standardized PDP instance, or an agreed hybrid solution.

Ensure manufacturing requirements for production launch and ramp, at either a VIAVI or a CM factory, are met during the NPI process.

• DFx and Supply Chain reviews are executed at appropriate phase of the NPI process
• Drive Supply Chain and manufacturing process development concurrently with product development
• Manufacturing process development is complete and validated prior to pilot build

Proactively identify project risks, develop mitigation strategies, and resolve issues that arise during the NPI process to keep projects on track.

Provide clear and regular communication to stakeholders and senior leadership on project status, progress against…