About this role.
Juul Labs seeks a Manufacturing Operations Program Manager to manage contract manufacturing execution and end-to-end global supply chain performance. The role owns launch readiness, lead-time reduction, supplier execution, capacity planning, cost management, and supply continuity across new and existing products. It requires cross-functional influence with engineering, quality, finance, logistics, product management, and external manufacturing partners. Candidates need at least five years of complex manufacturing or global supply chain experience, strong cost and DFMAC knowledge, ERP familiarity, and the ability to travel globally 5%–10%. The remote role is available in Minnesota, Tennessee, or Wisconsin, with travel to Cookeville, Tennessee as needed.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
4/5Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I begin by establishing a shared operating cadence and a concise scorecard covering OTD, yield, lead time, shortages, forecast adherence, and corrective-action aging. I use the data to isolate recurring constraints, assign owners and dates for corrective actions, and review progress with both operational and executive stakeholders until performance is stable.
I break the cost into materials, direct labor, overhead, tooling or capital amortization, logistics, scrap, and expected yield. I validate assumptions with engineering, finance, and suppliers, compare the model with market benchmarks, and use the resulting cost drivers to support negotiations and design-for-cost decisions.
I would quantify demand scenarios against available equipment, labor, supplier capacity, qualification status, and material lead times. From there, I would create mitigation paths such as alternate sourcing, staged builds, equipment reallocation, overtime, or demand prioritization, with clear trigger points and executive escalation criteria.
I separate work into an immediate control tower for issues affecting production or customer delivery and a structured improvement backlog for systemic risks. Daily execution reviews protect the current build, while weekly or monthly planning forums address capacity, supplier development, cost roadmaps, and business-continuity actions.
I align stakeholders around transparent facts, shared KPIs, customer impact, and explicit decision rights. I make tradeoffs visible, document commitments and owners, and build trust by following through consistently, escalating only after collaborative problem-solving options have been exhausted.
THE COMPANY:
Juul Labs’s mission is to transition the world’s billion adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage usage of our products. We have the opportunity to address one of the world’s most intractable challenges through a commitment to exceptional quality, research, design, and innovation. Backed by leading technology investors, we are committed to the same excellence when it comes to hiring great talent.
We are a diverse team that is united by this common purpose and we are hiring the world’s best engineers, scientists, designers, product managers, operations experts, and customer service and business professionals. If the opportunity to build your career is compelling, read on for more details.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
JUUL Labs is seeking a multifunctional Manufacturing Operations Program Manager to join our Global Supply Chain team. This hybrid role bridges day-to-day contract manufacturing execution with strategic, end-to-end supply chain management.
The mission of this role is to ensure we build products at the right speed (time to market), right price (fully burdened cost), right capacity, and right flexibility to meet the company’s growth needs. Acting as a critical operational liaison, you will oversee the complete lifecycle of new and existing products across our global supplier network.
Looking for Candidate in Region who can travel to manufacturing site in Cookeville, TN as needed.
Key Responsibilities
- Time to Market & Operational Execution
- Launch Optimization: Optimize product supply chains for speed to successfully meet market demand and product launch timelines.
- Lead Time Reduction: Work closely with product development and manufacturing teams to minimize lead times while maintaining strict quality standards.
- Day-to-Day Oversight: Interface daily with suppliers to manage operational execution, focusing heavily on On-Time Delivery (OTD), Overall Operational Effectiveness (OOE), and forecast execution.
- Cost Management & Financial Acumen
- Fully Burdened Cost Tracking: Manage total product supply chain costs to ensure the fully burdened price (including material, labor, overhead, and logistics) directly aligns with corporate profitability margins.
- Should-Cost Strategy: Partner with finance and engineering to build aggressive should-costs and clear capital expenditure forecasts.
- Commercial Negotiations: Negotiate with key suppliers to secure favorable pricing, tooling/equipment budgets, and business terms without compromising product quality.
- Capacity Planning, Flexibility & Scalability
- Constraint Mitigation: Evaluate production constraints and manage global manufacturing capacity to seamlessly support current volumes and future product roadmaps.
- Ramp & Scale Planning: Collaborate with manufacturing partners on staffing, facility foot printing, and equipment allocation to ensure infrastructure is scalable for company growth.
- Adaptability: Implement flexible supply chain strategies capable of responding rapidly to market fluctuations, operational bottlenecks, and demand shifts.
- Supplier Relationship & Risk Management
- Strategic Alignment: Build, evaluate, and maintain relationships with critical contract manufacturers and component vendors to align them with JUUL’s operational targets.
- Contingency Planning: Anticipate vulnerabilities and draft proactive business continuity plans to mitigate risks associated with vendor performance, geopolitical fluctuations, and macro supply disruptions.
- Performance Quality: Establish metric scorecards and Clear to Build (CTB) tracking to eliminate post-ramp qualifications and unexpected disruptions.
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Continuous Improvement
- Primary Liaison: Act as the primary champion and operational advocate across engineering, quality, product management, logistics, and finance.
- Process Excellence: Utilize KPIs to actively monitor supply chain performance, using a data-driven “sixth sense” to spark continuous improvement, process modifications, and cost-saving loops.
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience: 5+ years of global supply chain management or complex manufacturing experience (highly preferred in Consumer Electronics, Medical Device, Aerospace, Automotive, or Pharmaceutical industries).
- Leadership & Influence: Proven history of leading and influencing cross-functional matrixed teams and external partners toward aggressive timelines without relying on direct authority.
- Strategic Problem Solving: Advanced capability to switch focus between minute operational issues and high-level macro strategies; a self-starter who proactively hunts for issues and implements permanent solutions.
- Technical & Cost Knowledge: Deep comprehension of manufacturing cost structures, automation equipment, and design principles, including basic DFMAC (Design for Manufacturing/Assembly/Cost) metrics.
- Systems Proficiency: Highly proficient with standard enterprise software alongside solid familiarity with ERP and supply chain management systems.
- Communication Style: Outstanding verbal and written presentation skills with the poise to navigate complex commercial discussions and articulate clear status reports to executives.
- Global Travel: Open to traveling globally between 5% and 10% as required.
EDUCATION:
- Required: Bachelor’s degree in Operations Manufacturing, Engineering, Business, or a closely related field.
- Preferred: MBA, MS, or MA degree.
JUUL LABS PERKS & BENEFITS:
- A place to grow your career. We’ll help you set big goals – and exceed them
- People. Work with talented, committed and supportive teammates
- Equity and performance bonuses. Every employee is a stakeholder in our success
- Cell phone subsidy, commuter benefits and discounts on JUUL products
- Excellent medical, dental and vision, disability, and life insurance, plus family support, wellness, legal, and employee assistance program benefits
- 401(k) plan with company matching
- Plus biannual discretionary performance bonuses
Juul Labs is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment for all employees and job applicants, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. Juul Labs also complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act. All applicants must have authorization to work for Juul Labs in the US.
SALARY RANGES:
Salary varies by role, level and location, and is dependent on the cost of labor in a given
geographic region among other factors. These ranges may be modified at any time.
SALARY RANGE:
$122,000—$160,000 USD
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