Lead TPM, S&OP: Capacity & Ops Strategy

About The Role

The Lead Technical Program Manager, S&OP:
Capacity & Ops Strategy serves as the technical navigator and quantitative engine within the Global Operations Readiness team. Reporting into the Manager of Global Operations Readiness within the Manufacturing Business Office, this role is responsible for designing, deploying, and orchestrating the multi-horizon Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) framework that converts complex commercial demand signals into clear operational options.

This role requires a unique combination of deep manufacturing expertise, advanced analytical/modeling capability, and cross-functional leadership. You will lead the S&OP sub-function in synthesizing multi-channel demand streams (Customer Operations, ZT Sales, and Sanmina partner pipelines) into dynamic capacity models—evaluating global footprint, floor space, test load, power, and tooling constraints.

Additionally, you will identify strategic opportunities to invest in new manufacturing methods, machines, and equipment, ensuring factory capabilities remain ahead of rapid technological shifts in high-density AI compute and liquid cooling infrastructure.

As a technical leader, you will act as a thought partner and subject matter expert, instilling analytical rigor and delivery discipline within the team while coaching junior engineers and technical program managers to cultivate engineering excellence across the organization.

• Ingest projects and requests from end-to-end, defining business needs, developing strategies, and socializing S&OP insights to executive leadership and plant operations.
• Drive the multi-stream demand ingestion process, reconciling unconstrained and constrained forecasts across Customer Operations, ZT sales, and Sanmina into a single unified demand baseline.
• Build and maintain dynamic 3-to-24-month capacity and scenario models, evaluating line rates, floor space utilization, test position availability, and high-density power/cooling infrastructure limits.
• Conduct rigorous "What-If" trade-off and ROI analyses, translating operational variables (racks/day, shift structures, line bottlenecks) directly into financial P&L impact (Cap Ex requirements, overtime costs, gross margin risk).
• Lead the monthly S&OP capacity review cadence, driving cross-functional alignment and accountability across Sales, Customer Ops, Engineering, NPI, Finance, and Sanmina teams.
• Identify strategic capability and technology shift opportunities, evaluating emerging hardware requirements (e.g., advanced liquid cooling loops, high-density power testing) and translating them into future-proofing requirements for manufacturing Methods and Machines.
• Build data-driven Cap Ex business cases for facility expansion, automation, line retrofits, and specialized tooling to prevent capacity bottlenecks before production ramps begin.
• Own efforts in continuously improving the effectiveness and scope of S&OP models, capacity tools, and data structures deployed for short- and long-term business planning.
• Coach and nurture junior team members to maximize their potential, set direction in the execution of complex analytical projects, and facilitate a culture of continuous learning and growth.
• Operate with a sense of urgency to ensure customer needs are met in fast-moving, high-pressure environments.

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, supply chain management, or related field. Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in an engineering, S&OP, capacity planning, or technical program management role (or 6+ years with a Master’s degree).
• Demonstrated experience in high-reliability, high-tech hardware, server assembly, electronics…