Director, New Product Development (NPD) Programs
Relocation Assistance Available
About the Opportunity
A leading global manufacturer serving the semiconductor and advanced technology industries is seeking a Director of New Product Development (NPD) Programs to lead the transformation of innovative product designs into scalable, world-class manufacturing solutions.
This executive leadership role sits at the intersection of Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Customer Programs. The successful candidate will drive product industrialization, manufacturing readiness, new product introductions (NPI), and global production launches across multiple manufacturing sites.
This is not a traditional PMO role. We are seeking a leader with a strong engineering and manufacturing background who has successfully delivered complex products from design release through production launch and ramp.
What You'll Do
- Lead end-to-end industrialization of new products from development through production launch.
- Drive manufacturing readiness and launch governance across global operations.
- Lead complex cross-functional NPI programs involving engineering, supply chain, quality, operations, and customers.
- Establish scalable launch processes that deliver predictable quality, cost, and schedule performance.
Manufacturing Readiness & Launch Execution
- Define and implement manufacturing readiness criteria and launch reviews.
- Lead pilot builds, validation activities, qualification programs, and production ramp-up efforts.
- Ensure readiness across tooling, equipment, documentation, training, capacity, quality systems, and supply chain.
Design for Excellence (DfX)
- Champion Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Design for Test (DFT), and broader DfX methodologies.
- Partner closely with product development teams to improve manufacturability, quality, reliability, and cost performance.
Leadership
- Lead and develop a high-performing team of technical program managers and engineering professionals.
- Influence diverse stakeholder groups across engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, and executive leadership.
- Build strong cross-functional relationships while driving accountability and execution.
What We're Looking For
Required Experience
- 15+ years of experience within semiconductor equipment, advanced manufacturing, precision manufacturing, or related industries.
- Proven success leading New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
- Demonstrated experience in product industrialization and manufacturing readiness.
- Experience launching products into production across multiple manufacturing sites.
- Strong manufacturing engineering leadership background.
- Experience leading cross-functional global teams and major business initiatives.
- Ability to influence engineering and operations organizations without direct authority.
Preferred Experience
Experience with organizations such as:
- Applied Materials
- Lam Research
- ASML
- KLA
- Brooks Automation
- Other semiconductor equipment or advanced manufacturing companies
Keywords We Value
What Success Looks Like
In this role, success will be measured by:
- Manufacturing readiness achievement
- Successful production ramps
- Yield and quality performance
- Global launch consistency and scalability