Senior Director of NPI Program Management

Job Details

• Job Location: Irvine, CA 92612
• Position Type: Full Time
• Salary Range: $210,000.00 - $285,000.00 Salary/year

Navitas Semiconductor (Nasdaq: NVTS) is a next-generation power semiconductor leader driving innovation in gallium nitride (GaN) and high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) technologies. Our products enable faster, more efficient power delivery across AI data centers, high-performance computing, energy and grid infrastructure, and industrial electrification.

With more than 30 years of combined expertise in wide bandgap technologies, GaNFast™ power ICs integrate GaN power, drive, control, sensing, and protection, delivering faster power delivery, higher system density, and greater efficiency. GeneSiC™ high-voltage SiC devices leverage patented trench-assisted planar technology to provide industry-leading voltage capability, efficiency, and reliability for medium-voltage grid and infrastructure applications.

Role Overview

Navitas Semiconductor is seeking a Senior Director of NPI Program Management to lead and personally run our most critical new product introduction programs across the GaN and SiC portfolios. This is an active, hands-on leadership role. The successful candidate will own and drive flagship NPI programs end-to-end while simultaneously building, leading, and developing the broader NPI Program Management organization.

Beyond program execution, this role will help drive capacity planning and strategy, as well as also own gross margin improvement initiatives across the product portfolio, partnering with engineering, operations, supply chain, and finance to structurally improve product profitability from NPI through sustained production.

Core Responsibilities - NPI Program Execution

• Personally own and drive flagship NPI programs end-to-end - from concept and product definition through device qualification, commercial release, and production ramp - acting as the accountable program leader, not solely an oversight function.
• Lead weekly NPI meetings at the working level as PM owner
• Manage a team of other PMs and Interns within the PM organization
• Define, structure, and execute complex multi-program NPI plans for GaN and SiC power products serving AI infrastructure, electrification, and energy markets.
• Chair NPI gate reviews at the executive level - setting gate criteria, evaluating readiness, making go/no-go recommendations, and ensuring disciplined program progression.
• Drive cross-functional NPI execution across R&D, process engineering, applications, quality, test, operations, supply chain, finance, and sales; hold functional leaders accountable to NPI commitments.
• Own NPI portfolio risk management - identify technical, schedule, capacity, and supply risks early; develop and personally drive mitigation strategies to protect launch commitments.
• Serve as the primary executive interface for NPI program status - presenting portfolio health, launch readiness, and escalations to the executive team and, as needed, to customers and board-level stakeholders.
• Lead industrial engineering assessments across the semiconductor value chain - wafer fabrication, probe, assembly, and final test - to optimize flow, capacity utilization, and cycle time for new products.
• Develop capacity models and load plans for NPI ramps, ensuring manufacturing and test capacity is secured and phased correctly ahead of volume production.
• Establish and track manufacturing readiness metrics - yield maturity, cycle time, throughput, equipment utilization, and first-pass yield - as formal NPI gate criteria.
• Partner with operations and quality teams to drive yield improvement roadmaps, process capability studies, and structured problem-solving for new product lines.
• Build and standardize industrial engineering tools, models, and analytical frameworks that improve NPI predictability and manufacturing decision-making.
• Own gross margin improvement initiatives across the GaN and SiC product portfolio - setting margin targets at NPI and driving structural cost reduction from launch through sustained production.
• Establish product cost models at the NPI stage, including die cost, assembly cost, test cost, yield assumptions, and supply chain cost drivers; hold programs accountable to cost targets as a gate criterion.

Core Responsibilities - Organizational Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop the NPI Program Management organization - including hiring, performance management, career development, and succession planning for program managers at all levels.
• Mentor and coach program managers and interns, elevating the technical depth, business acumen, and execution discipline of the team.
• Define and continuously improve the Navitas NPI framework - gate structure, entry/exit criteria, templates, tools, and reporting standards - driving consistency and repeatability across the portfolio.
• Establish NPI performance metrics and operating cadence for the organization; report on program portfolio health, on-time launch rate, and margin attainment.
• Champion the adoption of modern productivity and analytics tooling across the team - including Microsoft 365 (Excel, Power BI, Project, Planner, Teams, SharePoint) and AI tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Claude - to improve reporting speed, analytical depth, and documentation quality.

Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline required; MS or MBA strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive experience in the semiconductor industry, with at least 7 years in NPI program management, operations, or product development leadership roles.
• Demonstrated track record of personally leading complex semiconductor NPI programs from concept through qualification, launch, and production ramp - with verifiable on-time, on-cost outcomes.
• Direct people management experience leading program management teams, including hiring, performance management, and talent development.
• Proven industrial engineering capability within semiconductor manufacturing - including capacity planning, test time and cost optimization, yield improvement, cycle time reduction, or manufacturing flow analysis.
• Demonstrated ownership of gross margin or product cost improvement initiatives with quantifiable financial results; strong command of semiconductor product cost structures.
• Deep working knowledge of the semiconductor value chain - wafer fabrication, probe, assembly/packaging, and final test - including hands-on experience managing foundry and OSAT partners.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen; ability to build cost models, margin bridges, and business cases and defend them to executive and finance stakeholders.
• Exceptional executive communication and influence skills; proven ability to drive alignment and accountability across engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, and sales organizations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Excel modeling, PowerPoint, Project, Planner, Teams, SharePoint) and data analysis/dashboarding tools such as Power BI.
• Working proficiency with AI productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot or Claude for analysis, reporting, and organizational documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with GaN, Silicon Carbide (SiC), or Wide Bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor product development and commercialization.
• Experience with power module or power IC packaging technologies, including substrate selection, thermal management, and high-power assembly processes.
• Deep familiarity with semiconductor qualification and reliability standards including AEC-Q100/Q101, JEDEC, FMEA, PPAP, and automotive-grade qualification flows.
• Experience in high-growth or scaling semiconductor organizations where NPI process and infrastructure had to be built or significantly matured.
• Formal training or certification in Lean, Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt), or equivalent operational excellence methodologies.
• PMP certification or equivalent formal program management credential.
• Experience with PLM and ERP systems (e.g., Agile PLM, SAP, Oracle) in a semiconductor product lifecycle and cost management context.
• Background serving AI infrastructure, data center power, EV powertrain, or renewable energy markets.
• Experience managing global teams or working across Asia-Pacific supply chain and manufacturing partners.