Engineering Program Manager

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Engineering Program Manager. Location: New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Responsibilities:

• Partner with engineering leads to build and execute project plans, establish KPIs, monitor project health, and ensure predictable delivery timelines.
• Own schedules and progress tracking for critical technical operations, including system cooldown and testing cycles.
• Identify friction in the cooldown-to-cooldown process, remove technical and operational roadblocks, and implement process improvements to minimize downtime.
• Design, implement, and improve engineering workflows to increase team velocity.
• Optimize project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, MS Project, or Smartsheet through workflows, automation rules, analytics, and leadership dashboards.
• Coordinate the Product Life Cycle (PLC) from development through productization;
• Establish and enforce configuration management, documentation, and change-control practices.
• Partner with engineering leads to transition complex R&D systems into stable, scalable, and reproducible products.
• Coordinate hardware, software, and operations teams.
• Provide visibility into project status, risks, and dependencies through technical documentation, operational reports, and executive presentations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• 4+ years of experience as an Engineering Program Manager or Technical Project Manager in a complex hardware/software engineering environment.
• 2+ years of experience as an Engineer in a complex hardware/software engineering environment.
• Experience may include semiconductors, aerospace, deep tech, or advanced test systems.
• Ability to estimate effort, build detailed project plans, and deliver programs on schedule while managing technical risk and operational constraints.
• Strong judgment in ambiguous environments, with the ability to independently research issues, evaluate options, and recommend solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally, remove roadblocks, and influence stakeholders without formal authority.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation, operational reports, and executive presentations.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and systems-level thinking;
• Deep experience with project tracking and documentation tools, including Jira, Confluence, MS Project, or Smartsheet.
• Ability to customize workflows, create automated rules, and build custom reporting dashboards from scratch.
• Experience managing product lifecycles, Bills of Materials (BOMs), Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and document-control systems.
• Strong experience working with physical systems, hardware integration, or operational facilities.
• Ability to independently identify broken processes, design solutions, gain team buy-in, and implement improvements with minimal supervision.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base pay range: $105,000 to $157,000 USD.
• Compensation includes company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of benefits.
• Total rewards may include base salary, equity, bonus, perks, and benefits.
• Final compensation is determined based on the candidate’s proficiencies within the position level.
• D-Wave promotes career growth, employee development, and an inclusive work environment.

Company Information:

• D-Wave develops quantum computing systems, software, and services across annealing and gate-model quantum computing technologies.
• The company serves commercial, government, and research organizations;
• D-Wave emphasizes innovation, accountability, collaboration, and employee development.