Director of Program Engineering Operations

Manchester, NH
Full Time
FIRST Robotics Competition/FIRST Tech Challenge
Manager/Supervisor

Does the thought of preparing kids to solve the world’s greatest problems excite and empower you? Do you want to be with an organization where your knowledge and skills will help increase school engagement and student success, and extend our global reach? Do you want to be on a team that crafts opportunities and provides life changing experiences for students?

These opportunities are as strong and dynamic as ever, as FIRST® creates the people who will change the world – today and tomorrow!

What We Offer
We promise a fast-paced, exciting, and rewarding environment where you will be part of a team that cares about each other and thrives on each other’s successes. As a Great Place to Work® certified company, you’ll feel good about the future of the world after doing hard work with the talented people at FIRST® and will have a front row seat to our life-changing programs.

Our extensive benefits package is highly competitive and includes:

  • Healthcare Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life & AD&D Insurance 
  • Supplemental life insurance
  • Voluntary accident and legal plans
  • Income Protection Insurances (STD & LTD)
  • Flexible Work Schedule
  • Hybrid Work Model
  • 160 PTO hours for FT employees 
  • 14 paid holidays per calendar year (one is a floating holiday)
    • Paid July 4th Week Holiday Closure 
  • 40 hours paid sick leave per calendar year
  • One paid volunteer day per anniversary year
  • Maternity and Parental Leave
  • 401K Retirement Savings Plan (with employer match)
  • Medical and dependent pre-tax flex plans
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The salary range for this position is $114,125-$132,955.50.  New hires typically start within this range based on their qualifications, experience, and considerations of internal equity.

Who You Are

You are a strategic engineering leader with a proven ability to translate complex technical initiatives into reliable, high-quality program execution. You thrive at the intersection of mechanical, electrical and software engineering, operational excellence, and leading cross-functional teams through the design, testing, manufacturing, deployment, and support of mission-critical systems. You are equally comfortable managing engineering operations, warehouse and workshop environments, and ensuring safety, compliance, and quality standards are met. With Gracious Professionalism® our ideal candidate will lead collaborative teams, optimize processes, and deliver innovative solutions that support exceptional program and event experiences.

FIRST headquarters is in Manchester, New Hampshire, and we seek candidates based in New England or willing to relocate to New England. This position requires an onsite presence.  

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

What You Will Do

In this role, you will lead program engineering operations by overseeing teams, technical systems, and execution of competition technologies to ensure safe, reliable, and innovative FIRST experiences.

  • Lead the execution of FIRST's program engineering operations, overseeing mechanical and electrical engineering, game field design, manufacturing, deployment, scoring systems, and event support while ensuring safety, quality, and program requirements are met.
  • Partner with Robotics Engineering, IT, the Distinguished Engineer, and external technology contributors to align engineering efforts, integrate systems, advance technology strategy, and deliver seamless competition experiences.
  • Direct engineering operations, including workshop and warehouse management, fabrication and maintenance for competition fields, game elements, and event systems.
  • Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team by setting priorities, managing performance, hiring talent, and fostering professional growth to achieve annual goals and long-term technology objectives.
  • Manage program engineering execution by balancing budgets, schedules, resources, and changing priorities to ensure successful delivery of strategic initiatives.
  • Provide tactical leadership for day-to-day engineering operations while advising senior leadership on strategic direction.

What We Expect
We are seeking candidates with the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

  • BS/BA in a related discipline, with a minimum of 8 years directly-related experience, including at least 3 years of supervisory or management experience.
  • Engineering background in a relevant discipline (mechanical, electrical, robotics, or related field).
  • CAD and/or programming experience.
  • Flexibility to travel 5-10%.

Commitment to FIRST® Core Values

Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
Impact:  We apply what we learn to improve our world.
Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

Thriving on our core values, celebrating the uniqueness of our employees and committed to inclusion. Proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

By submitting my application, I certify that the information provided is true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statements or omissions may result in disqualification from employment or, if employed, termination.

I acknowledge that FIRST may conduct a comprehensive background check as part of the hiring process. This may include, but is not limited to, verification of my employment history, education, professional credentials, employment references, and a review of prior involvement with FIRST in an employment or volunteer capacity.

I further acknowledge that if I receive a conditional offer of employment, my employment status remains contingent upon the results of a criminal records check, and that the findings may affect my eligibility for employment. Additionally, for certain positions where job responsibilities warrant it, FIRST may conduct a credit check as part of the background screening process, in compliance with applicable laws.

FIRST takes your privacy seriously, and we are dedicated to protecting the confidentiality of your personal data. If you apply for a position at FIRST, we will collect, process, and store your personal data, such as your name, contact information, and application materials, to comply with our regulatory and legal obligations. FIRST will retain employment records, including employment applications, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

Share

Apply for this position

Required*
We've received your resume. Click here to update it.
Attach resume or Paste resume
Attach resume as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, or .rtf (limit 5MB) or Paste resume

Paste your resume here or Attach resume file

To comply with government Equal Employment Opportunity and/or Affirmative Action reporting regulations, we are requesting (but NOT requiring) that you enter this personal data. This information will not be used in connection with any employment decisions, and will be used solely as permitted by state and federal law. Your voluntary cooperation would be appreciated. Learn more.
Invitation for Job Applicants to Self-Identify as a U.S. Veteran
  • A “disabled veteran” is one of the following:
    • a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or
    • a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
  • A “recently separated veteran” means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
  • An “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
  • An “Armed forces service medal veteran” means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran status


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 07/31/2029
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Please check one of the boxes below:

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

You must enter your name and date
Human Check*