JAMES COLTON
Manor,TX
Summary
Senior Technical Program and Operations Executive with extensive leadership experience driving large-scale initiatives in military and enterprise environments. Achievements include delivering $3B+ in program execution and $10M+ in cost savings, while leading cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and success in high-stakes projects.
Overview
34
34
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Project / Operations Manager
Current Lighting
Round Rock, TX
05.2022 - 04.2026
- Achieved $1M+ in quarterly cost savings through workflow optimization and efficiency improvements
- Secured $4M in savings and reduced shipping delays by 7%
- Coordinated stakeholders including clients, architects, and contractors to ensure project alignment and successful delivery
- Led full lifecycle execution of multi-site lighting projects from planning through delivery
Sr. Technical Program Manager
Iconma/ Applied Materials
Austin, Texas
11.2020 - 03.2022
- Owned program scope, risk, dependencies, and delivery strategy, ensuring successful execution of complex, multi-phase initiatives
- Directed end-to-end execution of enterprise programs, aligning engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams to support $3B+ in revenue generation
- Delivered $10M+ in annual cost savings through process optimization and data-driven execution
- Delivered executive-level reporting and strategic insights, enabling informed decision-making for senior leadership
Regional Operations Manager
WEA
Austin, Texas
06.2021 - 02.2026
- Managed high-volume service delivery for 200+ patients daily during public health emergency, ensuring continuity of care
- Led multi-site healthcare operations with accountability for $500K budget, staffing, and performance
- Collaborated with Austin Public Health to enhance patient outcomes by 5%, directly impacting community health
- Directed workforce planning and onboarding while ensuring regulatory compliance across multiple locations
Materials and Logistics Manager
Wabtec
Kansas City, Kansas
10.2008 - 04.2021
- Managed $3B+ in inventory with zero deficiencies, ensuring full audit compliance and operational accuracy
- Led Oracle MRP planning, procurement, and logistics operations to optimize workflow
- Identified and mitigated supply chain risks, enhancing delivery timelines
- Achieved annual inventory targets with 90%+ performance consistently
Senior Operations NCO (Medical)
U.S. Army
Springfield, IL
02.1992 - 04.2019
- Coordinated multi-agency operations across local, state, and federal levels to enhance situational awareness and response capabilities.
- Led disaster response operations deploying and directing 200+ Airmen and Soldiers
- Directed logistics and readiness efforts while ensuring effective multi-agency execution across diverse environments to support mission objectives.
- Acted as liaison between military leadership and government stakeholders ensuring mission success
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Mass Communication
University of Missouri
Columbia, MOSkills
- Project management
- Operations Management
- Technical Program Leadership
- Site Implementation & Field Operations
- Multi-Site Operations
- Infrastructure Deployment
- Budget management
- Budget oversight
- Performance metrics
- Stakeholder engagement
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Process Optimization
- Agile
- Waterfall
- Hybrid Delivery
- MS Project
- Oracle (MRP)
- SharePoint
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Visio
- Supply chain management
- Team leadership
- Team collaboration
- Performance metrics
- Change management
- Effective communication
- Change management
Certification
- AI for Project Management, IBM
- Project Management Professional (PMP), In Progress, 06/26
- Sigma Six Green Belt, In progress, 06/26
Tools And Methodologies
- Agile
- Waterfall
- Hybrid Delivery
- MS Project
- SharePoint
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Visio
- Oracle (MRP)
Core Executive Capabilities
- Technical Program Leadership
- Site Implementation & Field Operations
- DoD Operations
- Infrastructure Deployment
- Multi-Site Operations
- Logistics & Supply Chain Optimization
- P&L & Budget Oversight
- Risk, Issue & Change Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Process Optimization
Timeline
Project / Operations Manager
Current Lighting
05.2022 - 04.2026
Regional Operations Manager
WEA
06.2021 - 02.2026
Sr. Technical Program Manager
Iconma/ Applied Materials
11.2020 - 03.2022
Materials and Logistics Manager
Wabtec
10.2008 - 04.2021
Senior Operations NCO (Medical)
U.S. Army
02.1992 - 04.2019
Some College (No Degree) - Mass Communication
University of Missouri