Chief of Staff, Program Management - Photonic Systems for AI

MediaTek; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 322,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

401K

Parental leave

Vacation time

Job summary

MediaTek Research Lab Inc. in San Jose, CA is looking for a Chief of Staff / Lead Program Manager to oversee the Photonic Systems for AI portfolio. This role demands over 10 years of experience in program management, budget management, and cross-functional leadership.

The ideal candidate will lead a team, manage program milestones, and drive accountability across complex initiatives. Comprehensive health benefits and a competitive salary range of $200,000 to $322,000 are offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in program management or technical operations roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in complex environments.
• Strong ability to manage budgets and forecasts.

Responsibilities

• Lead program management for photonic system initiatives.
• Run program tracking and ensure on-time execution.
• Manage a team of Program Managers and standardize execution practices.

Skills

Program management

Budget management

Cross-functional team leadership

Wafer development cycles

Job description

Chief of Staff, Program Management - Photonic Systems for AI

Category

Algorithm & Architecture

Location

San Jose, CA

Experience

More than 8 Years Work Expe.

Job Description

We're looking for a Chief of Staff / Lead Program Manager to help run our Photonic Systems for AI portfolio. This leader will bring execution rigor across complex, cross-functional programs, owning budgeting and financial coordination, building program tracking and accountability, and driving clear prioritization across competing needs, including wafer runs and capital commitments. A team of Program Managers will report to this role, which reports directly to the organization leader.

• Lead the program management function for a portfolio of photonic system initiatives supporting AI.
• Establish and run program tracking, dashboards, operating cadence, and escalation paths to ensure on-time execution.
• Establish and manage NPI milestones (stage gates, deliverables, and readiness reviews) to drive predictable execution from development through wafer runs, build, test, and launch.
• Partner with Finance to manage budgets, forecasting, and spend tracking across programs.
• Drive wafer run prioritization and decision-making frameworks tied to technical readiness, risk, and business priority.
• Define and manage capital commitments for wafers and program needs, ensuring alignment to roadmap and delivery milestones.
• Manage and develop a team of Program Managers, standardizing execution best practices and improving predictability.

Main Requirements and Qualifications

• 10+ years in program management / product operations / technical operations roles in a complex technical environment (hardware, semiconductors, photonics, or adjacent).
• Experience owning portfolio execution, leading cross-functional teams, and delivering through ambiguity.
• Strong ability to manage budgets, forecasts, and business reviews with executive-level clarity.
• People leadership experience, including managing Program Managers.
• Working familiarity with wafer development cycles (planning, lead times, dependencies) and how they impact program execution.

Salary range: $200,000- $322,000

Employee may be eligible for performance bonus, short and long term incentive programs. Actual total compensation will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience and qualifications. In addition, MediaTek provides a variety of benefits including comprehensive health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays, Sick Leave, Vacation time, Parental leave, 401K and more.

MediaTek is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.