Senior Program Manager, New Product Introduction

Aether Biomachines•Menlo Park, CA

About The Position

Aether is hiring a Senior Program Manager to own the manufacturing readiness process that moves new materials from the lab to commercial production. The role leads Aether’s stage-gate process from lab scale through scale-up, technology transfer to contract manufacturing partners, and commercial launch. The framework is already established; the successful candidate will put it into practice, run and refine it, and help make it Aether’s standard approach to product launches. As an early hire in Aether’s new manufacturing organization, the program manager will shape how the company brings products to market over time. The role works across research and development, process engineering, quality, contract manufacturing operations, supply chain, and commercial teams to help ensure each product is ready to be made reliably at scale. Aether is a Series A company with a small team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its enzyme-engineered materials are used in advanced print materials shipping into defense and unmanned systems.

Requirements

8+ years of program management experience in hardware, chemicals, materials, batteries, or similar product industries.
A track record of taking products from development through commercial launch.
Experience building or substantially shaping a new product introduction or stage-gate process, rather than only working within one.
Ability to lead people who do not report to you across technical and business teams.
Strong systems thinking and organizational skills.
Experience in a fast-paced or early-stage environment.

Nice To Haves

BS+ in chemical engineering or another technical field.
Experience launching products made by contract manufacturers.
Experience with polymers or materials.

Responsibilities

Run Aether’s stage-gate process from lab scale through commercial launch, including gate reviews, readiness criteria, and decisions about whether products move forward.
Build and maintain integrated launch plans covering development, scale-up, technology transfer, qualification, and commercial readiness.
Coordinate across R&D, process engineering, quality, contract manufacturing operations, supply chain, and commercial teams to ensure clear handoffs and follow-through.
Partner with quality and process engineering to build quality into technology transfer from the start.
Identify risks early, drive them to resolution, and keep leadership informed of program status and tradeoffs.
Refine the stage-gate process as Aether’s product portfolio grows.