Principal Hardware NPI Program Manager

Astera Labs; San Jose (CA); Sur place; USD 180 000 - 240 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Astera Labs seeks a Principal Hardware NPI Program Manager to lead complex hardware programs from concept through launch for rack-scale AI infrastructure.

You will drive integrated plans across product, hardware, systems, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and customer-facing teams, ensuring milestones, risk decisions, and readiness criteria are met in a fast-moving, globally distributed environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, operations, or related field; equivalent experience acceptable.
• 5+ years of hardware NPI or related program-management experience.
• Experience with hardware development cycles from concept to launch.
• Knowledge of PCB/PCBA manufacturing, BOMs, and supplier coordination.
• Ability to manage schedules, milestones, risks, and cross-functional dependencies.

Responsabilités

• Define PCBA program schedules, quantities, milestones, budgets, and readiness criteria from concept through launch.
• Lead prototype and new-product builds through PCB/PCBA bring-up and shipment readiness.
• Drive readiness reviews, decision forums, dashboards, and phase gates for alignment.
• Provide recovery plans for material shortages or supplier constraints to protect delivery.
• Communicate concise, decision-oriented updates to technical teams and executives.

Connaissances

NPI program management

Cross-functional leadership

Scheduling & budgeting

Vendor management

Stakeholder communication

Formation

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Outils

Arena PLM

Jira

MS Project

Description du poste

Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Hardware NPI Program Manager to lead complex hardware programs from concept and design release through productization, validation, customer readiness, and launch. This highly visible role combines technical NPI expertise with cross-functional program leadership to deliver purpose-built connectivity solutions for rack-scale AI infrastructure.

You will bring structure to programs spanning product, hardware, systems, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, quality, finance, and customer-facing teams. You will own integrated plans, dependencies, risks, decisions, and outcomes while driving accountability in a fast-moving, globally distributed environment.

What you will do

NPI Program Planning and Execution

• Define PCBA program schedules, quantities, milestones, budgets, and readiness criteria from concept through launch.
• Lead prototype and new-product builds through PCB, PCBA, bring-up, shipment readiness.
• Lead readiness reviews, decision forums, dashboards, and phase gates that keep teams aligned.
• Make recovery recommendations when material shortages, engineering changes, supplier constraints, or other risks threaten delivery.

Drive cross-functional product execution

• Align product, hardware, validation, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, finance, operations
• Identify blockers early, assign owners, drive decisions, and upscale issues with clear recommendations.
• Communicate concise, decision-oriented updates to technical teams, senior leaders, executives, customers, and external partners.

Manage manufacturing readiness and change control

• Confirm that BOMs, part numbers, fabrication and assembly data, suppliers, work instructions, deviations, engineering changes, and approvals are complete before a build begins.
• Highlight manufacturing issues involving component sourcing, DFM, programming, assembly and rework
• Maintain appropriate traceability for hardware builds, rework and validation results.

Lead suppliers and global execution

• Serve as a primary program and technical contact for contract manufacturers, rework providers, and other external partners.
• Build strong supplier relationships while maintaining accountability for commitments and deliverables.

Drive operational excellence

• Maintain reliable views of program status, milestones, dependencies, risks, actions, supplier commitments, costs, forecasts, and launch readiness.
• Improve program-management processes, documentation, reporting, repositories, and performance metrics.
• Identify repetitive or error-prone work that can be standardized or automated.
• Partner with data, software, and applied-AI teams to improve dashboards, milestone tracking, document workflows, and searchable program information.
• Coach team members on readiness, documentation, supplier communication, decision-making, and escalation practices.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, operations, or a related field; equivalent experience is also acceptable.
• 5+ years of experience in hardware NPI, technical program management, manufacturing engineering, product operations, or a related field.
• Experience supporting hardware products or builds through development, validation, manufacturing, or launch.
• Working knowledge of hardware development, PCB/PCBA manufacturing, BOMs, engineering changes, and supplier coordination.
• Ability to manage schedules, milestones, risks, action items, and cross-functional dependencies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence teams without direct authority.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets, presentations, dashboards, or project-management tools.
• Ability to Travel internationally.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with high-speed networking, PCIe, optical, cable, retimer, ASIC, compute, data center, or AI infrastructure hardware.
• Experience with customer programs, product launches, strategic initiatives, or cost and operational improvement programs.
• Experience with product lifecycle, customer readiness, manufacturing release, quality, RMA, or EOL activities.
• Experience with Arena or another PLM system, Jira or another work-management system, Microsoft Project, SharePoint, or similar tools.
• Experience with prototype rework, BGA/ASIC processing, board-level failure analysis, X-ray review, supplier quality, or hardware logistics.
• Experience building dashboards, data pipelines, workflow automation, or AI-assisted engineering tools.
• Experience managing prototype budgets, purchase requests, purchase orders, supplier quotes, or forecasts.
• Experience hiring, mentoring, or leading engineers, interns, or cross-functional teams.

What success looks like

• Programs have clear objectives, owners, schedules, decisions, dependencies, and escalation paths.
• Builds begin with complete and approved technical and manufacturing inputs.
• Hardware, software, validation, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams remain aligned through launch.
• Teams and leaders have a trusted view of progress, risks, dependencies, and next actions.
• Supplier and manufacturing issues are identified early and driven to closure.
• Hardware builds, validation, customer readiness, and launches support business and customer commitments.
• Program processes become more predictable, measurable, searchable, and automated over time.