Title: Operations Program Specialist 
Pay: $60-$67/hr depending on experience 
Location: On-site 5 days/week in Irvine, CA 

The Planet Group is seeking an Operations Program Specialist to join one of our clients; a global powerhouse in precision instruments and lasers that powers the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry.

In this role, you will drive the operational execution and delivery of highly technical programs. You will maintain a clear view of program health by tracking critical engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain metrics across multiple projects. Acting as the ultimate cross-functional coordinator, you will partner daily with engineering, operations, and supply chain teams to resolve dependencies, mitigate risks, and aggressively clear blockers to keep production on track.

Beyond internal alignment, you will serve as a key point of contact for external customers and internal stakeholders, translating complex technical requirements into actionable project plans, managing expectations, and supporting broader business priorities like margin profitability and opportunity evaluation. This role demands a disciplined, highly organized professional who thrives on structured tracking, closing out action items, and maintaining accountability across complex, fast-moving teams.

Operations Program Specialist Responsibilities: 

• Deliver Customer Success
  • Ensure optical system programs are delivered on time and to quality expectations
  • Strengthen customer trust through responsiveness and clear communication
  • Resolve issues with structured root cause and prevention
• Drive Execution Excellence
  • Bring structure and clarity to complex, cross-functional programs
  • Improve planning, tracking, and on-time delivery
  • Turn ambiguity into actionable, prioritized plans
• Strengthen Cross-Functional Performance
  • Align engineering, operations, and supply chain on priorities and delivery
  • Drive accountability without direct authority
  • Improve communication, decision speed, and execution consistency
• Build Scalable Processes
  • Implement structured tools, tracking, and standard work
  • Improve cycle time, yield, and delivery performance
  • Establish repeatable processes that scale with growth

• 2-5 years of professional experience in an execution-focused role. Experience in a manufacturing, engineering, or corporate operations environment is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage, update, and organize project tasks. Must excel at tracking deadlines and proactively chasing down cross-functional teammates (engineering, supply chain) for status updates.
• Strong proficiency with Excel for data tracking, management, and reporting (e.g., formulas, VLOOKUPs, formatting, pivot tables).
• Entry-to-mid level experience with PowerPoint, specifically comfortable taking existing decks, updating data/slides, and keeping them formatted and polished for stakeholder reviews.
• Exceptional organizational skills with a disciplined approach to managing multiple moving pieces and administrative action items without letting things slip through the cracks.