Technical Program / Project Manager

Technical Program Manager

Applied Materials is seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager to join our Engineering Operations team. This role is responsible for end-to-end materials lifecycle management—from Purchase Requisition (PR) creation through Purchase Order (PO) execution and supplier coordination—supporting multiple platform development projects and Center of Excellence (COE) engineering initiatives. The individual will also play a key role in tool slotting and scheduling across our labs, ensuring alignment between COE project timelines, equipment availability, and build priorities. This position serves as the operational backbone for materials procurement, cost analysis, supplier management, tool capacity planning, and cross-functional coordination across Business Units (BUs), field operations, and global supply chain teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end PR-to-PO cycle, including PR aging tracking, PO conversion, and timely resolution of aging requisitions.
• Monitor and report on PO aging, past-due exposure, and lead time misalignments in SAP. Flag systemic issues impacting lead time accuracy and demand/commit visibility.
• Investigate and resolve PR deletion anomalies, ensuring audit integrity and accurate aging reports.
• Manage low-volume expense POs for fit-check validation, lab qualification, and prototype builds.
• Drive tool slotting and scheduling across labs for COE engineering projects, ensuring optimal utilization of equipment capacity and alignment with program milestones.
• Coordinate with COE leads, facilities, and operations teams to prioritize and allocate tool time based on project urgency, build schedules, and engineering readiness.
• Maintain visibility into tool availability, slot conflicts, and scheduling dependencies, proactively flagging risks and recommending adjustments.
• Support capacity planning activities to balance demand across multiple concurrent programs and COE initiatives.
• Perform purchase price and standard cost lookups in SAP for part numbers across COEs, identifying and reconciling discrepancies.
• Conduct Costed BOM analysis structured by major subsystem categories; provide period cost and burden data for system-level analysis.
• Support monetization and cost-savings initiatives by compiling part number lists, extracting cost data, and enabling year-over-year contribution analysis for leadership.
• Maintain and update savings forecast files, BOM builds, and build plan analysis.
• Track and drive Supplier Notification Form (SNF) lifecycle from creation through disposition—including cancellation, approval, and FAI completion—across all platform variants.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders to facilitate FAI (First Article Inspection) submissions, ensuring all tracking records are properly maintained and approvals are driven within SLA.
• Manage Vendor ID (VID) assignments for manufacturing site changes, coordinating with supplier quality and purchasing teams.
• Initiate and manage RFQ processes, negotiate pricing (including NRE and MOQ), and award business using the approved supplier matrix.
• Drive supplier selection for piece parts and outsourced assemblies, ensuring compliance with approved vendor guidelines.
• Lead concept-to-HVM phased transitions—managing the handoff from concept/evaluation through full production procurement (RFQ, HVM, FAI, Outline Agreement updates, and PO issuance through materials receipt).
• Drive dual sourcing strategies, POR alignment, and lead time mitigation for critical materials.
• Manage Outline Agreements (OA) and maintain Purchase Information Records (PIR) in SAP.
• Own Supplier Performance Scorecard (SPS) reporting across platforms, tracking submissions by quarter, aging, stage, and emergency status.
• Drive RCCA documentation for process failures to ensure gap closure and recurrence prevention.
• Serve as the primary materials liaison between COE Engineering, Purchasing, BU Materials teams, and global supply chain operations.
• Coordinate with purchasing managers to resolve shortage escalations, line-down situations, and supplier capability gaps.
• Support spare parts management requests from internal stakeholders and field operations.
• Manage materials movement in and out of the warehouse, including Return to Stock (RTS), stock requests, inter-company transfers, and material disposition assessments.
• Participate in weekly and monthly project reviews, providing materials status updates, blockers, and next steps.
• Support the project intake process by maintaining project records and completing operations owner details.
• Enter and maintain project data in cost tracking tools and forecasting systems.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, or a related field
• Experience: 8–10 years in materials program management, supply chain operations, or technical procurement within a semiconductor or high-tech manufacturing environment
• SAP Proficiency: Strong working knowledge of SAP for purchase requisitions, purchase orders, cost lookups, PIR management, and BOM analysis
• Supplier Management: Demonstrated experience managing the RFQ-to-PO cycle, supplier negotiations (NRE, MOQ), FAI coordination, and vendor qualification processes
• Tool/Facility Coordination: Experience with tool slotting, equipment scheduling, or capacity planning in an R&D or manufacturing lab environment
• Data Analysis: Proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables, data restructuring) and experience with dashboards/reporting tools (Tableau, Smartsheet preferred)
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work across engineering, purchasing, quality, and operations teams in a matrixed organization
• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to provide clear status reports, flag risks, and drive resolution with multiple stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NPI (New Product Introduction) materials lifecycle—from concept/prototype through HVM cut-in
• Familiarity with SNF/FAI/SPS processes in semiconductor supply chain
• Knowledge of approved vendor/special process compliance requirements
• Experience with procurement card programs or equivalent
• Exposure to cost reduction programs and monetization/value tracking
• Working knowledge of semiconductor tool platforms, chamber technologies, or related equipment is a plus

Why This Role Matters

This position directly impacts Applied Materials' ability to execute on critical platform deliverables, maintain supply continuity across engineering projects, and drive cost visibility that supports gross margin improvement initiatives. The individual will be embedded in a fast-paced environment where materials execution and tool scheduling directly affect build timelines, line-down recovery, and multi-million-dollar project outcomes.

Additional Information

Time Type: Full time

Employee Type: Assignee / Regular

Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Eligible: Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

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