Program Manager - Engineering Strategy & Transformation

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Program Manager - Engineering Strategy & Transformation – Plymouth, MN - Hybrid

Daikin Applied is seeking a Program Manager - Engineering Strategy & Transformation to support the Sr. Manager in translating Engineering strategy into an executable Engineering Transformation Office portfolio. This role maintains program information, enables consistent governance and reporting, and helps initiative leaders align priorities, milestones, risks, dependencies, decisions, and follow-through with strategic objectives.

Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!

Location: Hybrid - Plymouth, MN

Your Responsibilities:

Program and Portfolio Coordination

• Maintain the Engineering Transformation Office roadmap in Fluid, including initiative scope, milestones, owners, dependencies, risks, expected outcomes, and other portfolio data; ensure information is accurate, current, and reflect program deployment status.

• Apply standard program management processes, governance practices, and reporting across the Engineering Transformation Office.

• Coordinate inputs from initiative and workstream leaders to ensure portfolio information is complete, consistent, and aligned across the transformation portfolio.

• Track cross-initiative dependencies, actions, decisions, and escalations; follow up with owners to support timely resolution and closure.

• Support strategic portfolio planning by synthesizing business priorities, capacity, timing, risks, dependencies, and expected outcomes to inform prioritization and trade-off decisions.

Governance and Leadership Reporting

• Coordinate content and readiness for Compass reviews, Executive Leadership Team reviews, and other executive level meetings.

• Prepare concise leadership reporting on progress, risks, dependencies, decisions required, and expected business value.

• Manage meeting preparation, inputs, agendas, action logs, and follow-up for recurring transformation governance forums.

• Validate reporting inputs with initiative owners and flag gaps, inconsistencies, or emerging concerns to the Sr. Manager.

• Maintain organized program records, decisions, and supporting materials in the designated collaboration tools.

Alignment and Stakeholder Coordination

• Support alignment of transformation initiatives with Engineering priorities and Engineering Transformation Office objectives.

• Coordinate across Engineering functions, business units, Digital, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Product Management, Finance, and other stakeholders as needed.

• Facilitate working sessions to clarify milestones, owners, risks, dependencies, and next steps.

• Identify potential conflicts, gaps, or barriers and elevate them to the Sr. Manager and appropriate leaders for resolution.

• Partner with initiative leaders while respecting their ownership for functional delivery and results.

Performance Tracking and Continuous Improvement

• Track progress against transformation objectives, milestones, deliverables, and commitments.

• Define, track, and routinely update program deployment KPIs in Fluid in partnership with initiative owners; validate KPI inputs, monitor performance against targets, and surface gaps or trends requiring action.

• Support benefits and value realization reviews by compiling results, documenting variances, and tracking agreed actions.

• Improve visibility into program status, resource needs, delivery confidence, and business impact.

• Identify practical improvements to governance, reporting, and program management processes.

Collaboration and Influence

• Work closely with the Sr. Manager, Engineering Strategy & Transformation, initiative leaders, Engineering leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Build productive relationships and coordinate effectively across organizational boundaries without direct authority.

• Synthesize information from multiple sources into clear summaries, decisions, owners, and next steps.

• Provide practical program management support to initiative and workstream leaders, including planning, risk tracking, and leadership communication.

• Communicate concerns factually and escalate barriers through the appropriate governance channels.

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Program Management, Operations, Information Technology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 7+ years of progressive experience in transformation program management, enterprise PMO, strategy execution, engineering transformation, operational excellence, or related work, including at least 3 years of direct experience leading or supporting complex, cross-functional transformation initiatives.

• Demonstrated experience translating strategic priorities into executable transformation roadmaps, portfolios, governance plans, and implementation actions, with responsibility for stakeholder alignment, change adoption, and benefits realization.

• Experience coordinating complex, cross-functional programs with multiple milestones, stakeholders, risks, and dependencies.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear presentations, dashboards, meeting materials, and program summaries.

• Experience with governance meetings, action tracking, risk management, and stakeholder follow-through.

• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint, along with familiarity with project or work-management tools.

Your Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting engineering, product development, New Product Introduction, digital transformation, quality, or operational excellence programs.

• Working knowledge of Lean, Agile, stage-gate, change management, and continuous improvement practices.

• Experience with KPI tracking, resource planning, or business-case support.

• Experience with tools such as Fluid, Azure DevOps, Power BI, Microsoft Project, Planner, Visio, or equivalent platforms.

• Project management, Agile, Lean, or change management certification is beneficial.

• Experience working in a global, matrixed organization across functions, business units, or regions.

Your Benefits: Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance

• 401K retirement plan with employer match

• Paid time off and company paid holidays

• Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law

• Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service

Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $100,800 - $171,700 plus a 15% bonus in Minnesota. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which these positions fall. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

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Employment is contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements, including verification of employment history, education, background screening, and drug testing where permitted by law. Safety-sensitive positions may require cannabis (marijuana) testing. All testing and employment decisions will comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied!