Customer Program Manager
Align Production Systems
Location
St. Louis, MO (headquarters) with time in Decatur, IL plant and at customer sites
Reports To
Director of Operations
FLSA Status
Exempt / Salaried
Direct Reports
Engineering teams across the organization, including mechanical design and controls.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Align Production Systems designs and manufacture custom capital equipment and heavy-load material handling systems — AGVs, heavy transporters, turntables, and integrated automation — for Fortune 1000 manufacturers and government programs in aerospace, space, heavy equipment, agriculture, and transportation.
The Customer Program Manager owns delivery of every engineer-to-order program from signed purchase order through customer acceptance. This is the single accountable owner the customer sees — leading two engineering teams, protecting margin, and driving on-time delivery on complex, one-of-a-kind machines.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Required
- 10+ years in engineer-to-order, custom machinery, industrial automation, or capital equipment environments
- 5+ years leading customer programs and managing engineers or designers directly, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
- Proven record of delivering complex custom projects on schedule and at margin with ownership of commercial outcomes
- Experience managing schedules and capacity across multiple concurrent programs with a disciplined, metrics-based operating rhythm
- Strong customer-facing presence; comfortable running program reviews with customer engineering and executive leadership
- Working knowledge of ERP and project scheduling tools; sufficient technical fluency in mechanical and controls systems to lead engineers credibly
- Bachelor's degree required; engineering degree preferred
Preferred
- PMP or equivalent project management credential
- Experience leading teams across multiple sites, including offshore or global engineering teams
- Background in material handling, AGVs or mobile automation, heavy-load equipment, or industrial automation
- Experience with aerospace, defense and space, heavy equipment, agriculture, or transportation manufacturers
- Background in a growing, privately held manufacturer
WHAT YOU WILL OWN
- End-to-end program delivery — kickoff through design, build, test, installation, and customer acceptance
- Customer relationship — single point of contact for Fortune 1000 customers from order handoff through closeout
- Program economics — manage every program against as-sold scope, engineering hours, BOM cost, and margin
- Mission Control — keep the program schedule current, accurate, and trusted as the company's operating backbone
- Engineering teams — hire, coach, develop, and lead engineers across the organization
LOCATION & TRAVEL
- Based in St. Louis, Missouri (Chesterfield headquarters)
- Occasional time at the Decatur, IL manufacturing plant based on business needs
- Travel to customer sites for program reviews, installations, and acceptance
**It is required to complete the Predictive Index Assessment to be considered for this position: https://assessment.predictiveindex.com/bo/D7NP/CustomerProgramManager_Aug2026_143222
Skills Required
- 10+ years in engineer-to-order, custom machinery, industrial automation, or capital equipment environments
- 5+ years leading customer programs and directly managing engineers or designers, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
- Proven record delivering complex custom projects on schedule and at margin with ownership of commercial outcomes
- Experience managing schedules and capacity across multiple concurrent programs with a disciplined, metrics-based operating rhythm
- Strong customer-facing presence and ability to lead program reviews with customer engineering and executive leadership
- Working knowledge of ERP and project scheduling tools
- Technical fluency in mechanical and controls systems sufficient to lead engineers credibly
- Bachelor's degree
- Engineering degree
- PMP or equivalent project management credential
- Experience leading teams across multiple sites, including offshore or global engineering teams
- Background in material handling, AGVs or mobile automation, heavy-load equipment, or industrial automation
- Experience with aerospace, defense and space, heavy equipment, agriculture, or transportation manufacturers
- Background in a growing, privately held manufacturer
What We Do
Align Production Systems designs, manufactures, and integrates standard and custom material-handling and manufacturing equipment for heavy industry. Its offerings include automated guided vehicles, industrial turntables, welding positioners, conveyors, transporters, ergonomic systems, and custom engineered solutions for moving and positioning heavy loads. The company helps manufacturers improve production efficiency, safety, and productivity, serving Fortune 500 companies and industrial facilities since 1967.
