Technical Program Manager

Advantest•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Advantest is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead hardware and software validation projects for complex customer configurations and internal releases, with emphasis on disciplined planning, execution, and validation closure. This role partners closely with multiple Business Units and roles such as, Application Engineering Managers, R&D, and Director of Global Operations to ensure validation work is scoped, tracked, risk-managed, and completed with clear evidence that deliverables meet performance and quality expectations. This position is designed for organizations that prefer hiring execution leadership inside Application Engineering—where technical validation work lives day-to-day—while still enabling consistent governance and reporting across initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (EE/CS/ME) or equivalent relevant experience.
5+ years experience project managing technical projects in HW/SW development, system integration, validation, or manufacturing environments.
Proven track record in best project management practices such as risk management, change control, project lifecycle, different project management methods.
Demonstrated ability to lead with authority and accountability — driving execution, enforcing commitments, and holding cross‑functional teams to agreed timelines, scope, and quality standards, even without direct reporting authority.
Strong communication skills (status, executive summaries, decision documentation).
Proven track record of establishing KPIs, templates, best practices across organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience with semiconductor test / ATE environment; familiarity with test program / system validation processes.
Proficiency with Jira and Agile/Kanban execution models.
PMP/CAPM (nice to have).
Hands-on understanding of HW/SW lifecycle, verification/validation concepts, and change control.