Senior Technical Program Manager NPI

Fresh Consulting•Austin, TX

3d•$140,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Fresh Consulting is hiring a Senior Technical Program Manager for a client that develops spatial-computing optics and manufacturing systems for augmented reality devices. The role leads New Product Introduction (NPI) and process-development programs for in-house surface-relief waveguides made using custom equipment and multiple nanofabrication steps. The program spans early R&D and pathfinding through prototyping, qualification, transfer to manufacturing, and readiness for scalable mass production. The position is based onsite in Austin, Texas, with required travel to Florida 25% of the time. The role involves frequent time on the manufacturing floor and in cleanroom environments, as well as work in a standard office environment. Occasional use of PPE, such as safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, or cleanroom smocks, is required during equipment verification and documentation. This is a direct-hire role with an annual base salary range of $140,000 to $160,000. Compensation depends on factors including location, level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Benefits include unlimited PTO, a 401(k) match, a role-based bonus percentage, fully reimbursed travel and expenses, unlimited Coursera e-learning, and relocation assistance.

Requirements

At least 5 years of technical program or project management experience, including process-development or NPI programs in a semiconductor, MEMS, or comparable nanofabrication environment.
Experience managing delivery from development through qualification and transfer to manufacturing.
Experience owning phase gates, validation protocols, and transfer-to-manufacturing packages.
Experience shaping line design for new or future lines, including automation, specifications, and data systems.
Technical breadth to engage with and challenge process, integration, equipment, and optical engineers and translate across disciplines.
Fluency with DOE, SPC, and yield data to assess process readiness and hold teams to readiness standards.
Exceptional ability to synthesize complex technical engineering updates into structured, actionable insights for executive leadership and operational teams.
Uses modern AI tools to accelerate execution, such as automating status synthesis and surfacing schedule and supply risks earlier.
Willingness to spend frequent time on manufacturing floors and in cleanroom environments, in addition to a standard office environment.
Ability to occasionally wear PPE, including safety glasses, steel-toed shoes, or cleanroom smocks, during equipment verification and documentation.
A master's or bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent is desired.

Nice To Haves

Process experience with diffractive or surface-relief waveguides, semiconductors, advanced lithography, or other AR/MR display optics.
Understanding of how process variation affects optical or display performance.
Hardware systems engineering background and technical program management experience taking products from concept to production.
Experience across the consumer electronics product lifecycle, including semiconductor, electrical, optical, fab, and launch stages.

Responsibilities

Drive process-development programs from focused R&D and pathfinding through rapid prototyping and toward a scalable mass-production roadmap, bringing schedule, scope, and deliverables to closure.
Work with process, integration, and equipment engineers to translate technical concepts and experimental results into project scopes, roadmaps, and work breakdown structures.
Keep requirements, risk analysis, validation protocols and reports, and transfer-to-manufacturing packages on schedule as processes progress toward high-volume manufacturing qualification.
Facilitate communication and strategic alignment across R&D, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Quality, and High-Volume Manufacturing operations.
Identify technical risks, experimental dead ends, and readiness gaps; develop mitigation plans to keep qualification timelines on track.
Chair phase-gate reviews, ensure appropriate technical authorities participate, support timely decisions, and track actions through closure.
Maintain project tracking, dynamic dashboards, and executive reporting for portfolio health, scope changes, and budget allocation.
Establish metrics and program practices to track process-development speed and determine whether processes are ready to advance against clear readiness criteria.