JobsGenerac

Digital Manufacturing Program Manager

Generac · Waukesha, WI

Posted Sep 13, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a manufacturing technology program you led from business case through production deployment. What was the scope and what did you personally own versus delegate?

whether they've actually run programs of this scale end-to-end or only participated in pieces

Tell me about a time an AI or digital manufacturing pilot looked great in proof of concept but stalled or failed when you tried to scale it into production. What actually went wrong?

realistic understanding of the POC-to-production gap that trips up most industrial AI initiatives

Tell me about a time you had to manage a team of specialists you didn't have deep technical expertise in yourself, like controls engineers or AI application engineers. How did you earn their trust and hold them accountable?

credibility and management style with technical specialists across disciplines

Tell me about a program where adoption by frontline plant workers was the real risk, not the technology itself. How did you drive change management and get people to actually use the new system?

experience with operational readiness and adoption, which the posting flags as a distinct responsibility

Technical

How would you build a prioritization framework to decide which of a dozen competing MES, traceability, and AI use cases across multiple plants get funded and staffed first?

ability to design governance and prioritization logic rather than just execute a fixed roadmap

Say a plant is running a legacy SCADA and controls setup and you need to integrate it with a new industrial data platform without stopping production. How do you approach that OT/IT integration?

working knowledge of the technical and operational risk of touching live OT systems

Describe how you would build an ROI model for a computer vision quality inspection project, and how you'd track whether the promised business value actually showed up after go-live.

financial rigor and follow-through on benefit realization, not just project delivery

What's your experience with MES platforms specifically, and how would you evaluate whether an MES enhancement project is ready to move forward versus needs more groundwork?

depth of hands-on familiarity with the core system this role revolves around versus surface-level knowledge

How do you structure a portfolio of manufacturing technology projects across multiple sites so you can track budget, risk, and resource allocation without losing visibility into any one project?

organizational rigor for managing a multi-site, multi-workstream portfolio

What project management methodology do you default to for a program mixing traditional capital projects with agile AI development, and when do you deviate from it?

flexibility applying both agile and traditional methods rather than forcing one framework onto everything

Situational

A plant floor supervisor and a corporate IT director disagree on how a new traceability system should be configured, and it's holding up the rollout. How do you resolve that?

skill mediating between operations and IT priorities, which this role sits directly between

If you had to give an executive steering committee a project status update on an initiative that is behind schedule and over budget, how would you frame that conversation?

comfort delivering unwelcome news upward with credibility intact

Suppose a generative AI use case for a digital worker application gets strong executive sponsorship but the plant teams are skeptical it will actually help them. How do you handle that tension?

judgment balancing top-down strategic push against ground-level operational buy-in

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The full job description

As published by Generac.

We believe power is a promise - a shared commitment to be there for others when it matters most. For more than 65 years, we've turned big ideas into solutions that help protect homes, strengthen businesses and build a more resilient, efficient, sustainable energy future. Ready to Power a Smarter World with us? The Program Manager will lead the execution, governance, and business adoption of strategic digital manufacturing and industrial AI initiatives across the enterprise. This role will serve as the operational leader for a multidisciplinary team consisting of Digital Manufacturing Engineers, Controls Engineering resources, Industrial Engineering/MES specialists, and a growing team of AI Application Engineers supporting manufacturing, quality, engineering, maintenance, and service operations.  The successful candidate will own program management across the Digital Factory portfolio, driving execution of MES, traceability, industrial data platforms, OT/IT integration, machine vision, AI deployment, predictive analytics, and emerging Generative AI solutions. The role will ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with measurable business impact across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Productivity (SQDCP). This position acts as the connective tissue between manufacturing operations, engineering, IT, plant leadership, vendors, and executive stakeholders. Major Responsibilities: Digital Transformation Program Leadership • Lead the execution and governance of the Advanced Manufacturing digital roadmap. • Manage a portfolio of manufacturing technology projects across multiple sites. • Develop and maintain project prioritization frameworks based on business value and strategic objectives. • Drive project planning, resource allocation, budget tracking, risk mitigation, and executive reporting. • Establish project management standards, KPIs, and governance processes across digital initiatives. AI Program Leadership • Coordinate and manage a team of AI Engineers focused on: Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Predictive Analytics, Generative AI, Autonomous Manufacturing Agents, Digital Worker Applications • Partner with business stakeholders to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and scale AI use cases • Drive AI project intake, business case development, ROI validation, and deployment planning • Ensure AI initiatives move effectively from proof of concept into production deployment Manufacturing Systems Delivery • Oversee implementation and enhancement of: MES platforms, Traceability systems, Industrial IoT solutions, SCADA and Controls integrations, Asset performance platforms, Quality systems, Manufacturing data platforms • Coordinate resources across Digital Manufacturing Engineers, Controls Engineering, MES specialists, and plant teams Cross-Functional Leadership • Facilitate alignment between: Manufacturing, Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, IT, Product Development • Lead steering committee reviews and executive program reviews. • Provide regular updates to senior leadership regarding project performance, risks, dependencies, and expected outcomes. Financial & Business Value Management • Develop project financial models and ROI calculations • Track realization of business benefits • Ensure digital and AI investments create measurable operational value • Support capital planning and strategic investment decisions Organizational Enablement • Build project management discipline across the Advanced Manufacturing organization • Establish best practices for change management, user adoption, and operational readiness • Support workforce transformation and AI adoption initiatives Minimum Job Requirements: Education • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field Work Experience • 5 years of manufacturing technology, operations, engineering, or digital transformation experience • 5 years leading complex programs and cross-functional teams • Experience delivering enterprise-scale manufacturing technology implementations • Experience managing capital and operational project budgets Preferred Job Requirements: Education • Master’s Degree Certification / License • PMP • PMI-ACP • Scrum Master • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt • Microsoft AI or Azure certifications • Knowledge / Skills / Abilities • Strong understanding of: • Manufacturing Operations • MES platforms • Industrial Automation • Controls and OT Systems • Manufacturing Analytics • Traceability Systems • Data Platforms • AI/ML Technologies • Computer Vision • Cloud Technologies • Agile and Traditional Project Management Methods Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls.  The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  On occasion, the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend, or reach above the shoulders.  The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel.   “We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”

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