Advanced Optics Technology Portfolio Manager and Chief of Staff

Corning•City of Corning, NY

23d•$140,597 - $193,321•Onsite

About The Position

Corning is seeking an AO Development Portfolio Manager and Chief of Staff to support the Advanced Optics organization in Corning, NY. This role is expected to be primarily onsite, works closely with the Business Technology Director (BTD), and offers relocation assistance for eligible candidates. Occasional travel may be required based on project and business needs. Materials, optics, engineering, and technical professionals who want to use their background in a broader portfolio and business-facing role will find strong visibility and impact here. Within Corning’s Advanced Optics organization, this role serves as a strategic partner to the BTD and helps connect development projects to business priorities, budget planning, staffing needs, and leadership decisions. Rather than owning a single program, this position brings together the broader portfolio view so the organization can prioritize effectively, stay aligned, and move important work forward.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations, finance, or a related field
10+ years of relevant experience in portfolio management, program leadership, strategy, operations, engineering, business planning, or chief of staff-related support in a complex organization
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and recurring operating cadences from planning through execution
Technical fluency to understand development project deliverables, project interdependencies, and alignment to business and technology strategy
Experience with budget tracking, forecasting, and variance management
Ability to analyze technical and business information and turn it into clear recommendations, decisions, and next steps
Clear written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with senior leaders and varied stakeholder groups
Sound judgment, professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality in handling sensitive business, organizational, and financial information

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a technical field, business, or a related discipline
Educational or professional background in materials, optics, physics, or another relevant technical area
Experience in a high-tech, manufacturing, engineering, research, or other technology-driven environment
Experience supporting portfolio governance, executive planning, and organizational coordination
Experience with organizational planning, workforce planning, or hiring strategy
Familiarity with Corning processes, systems, and cross-functional ways of working
People management experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner to the BTD, helping translate business and technology priorities into an effective operating rhythm across the Advanced Optics technology organization
Partner closely with the BTD and BTD administrative support to coordinate leadership cadence, calendar priorities, key meetings, and follow-up actions
Establish and maintain a forward-looking cadence for staff meetings, portfolio reviews, business reviews, deep dives, and other leadership forums
Prepare agendas, briefing materials, decision-support content, presentations, and follow-up communications for leadership discussions and reviews
Review and analyze materials submitted for BTD review or decision-making, highlighting implications, tradeoffs, risks, and recommended actions
Represent or support the BTD in selected internal and cross-functional engagements, as needed
Develop, maintain, and communicate an integrated view of the AO Development portfolio aligned to near- and long-term business priorities
Lead the portfolio operating cadence, including project intake, prioritization, portfolio review, decision capture, action tracking, and cross-functional follow-through
Provide visibility to scope, status, milestones, dependencies, risks, resource needs, and budget alignment across the AO Development portfolio
Build and maintain portfolio dashboards, analytics, scorecards, and planning tools that improve rigor, visibility, and repeatability
Support development budget tracking, forecasting, and variance management in partnership with Finance, including visibility to investment levels, spending trends, forecast changes, and tradeoff implications
Help connect portfolio priorities, resource allocation, and financial performance to business outcomes and strategic objectives
Support the BTD in organizational planning and hiring strategy by helping assess capability needs, organizational gaps, and role prioritization
Partner with leadership, HR, and Finance to support workforce planning, hiring prioritization, and sequencing of critical roles
Work across Development, Engineering, Finance, HR, Operations, and other functions to support alignment, decision-making, and organizational follow-through
Support executive communications and leadership materials by translating technical and portfolio topics into clear insights, recommendations, and action plans
Lead or support special projects and process improvements that strengthen portfolio governance, planning discipline, decision quality, and organizational effectiveness