Applications Engineering and Product Lifecycle Transformation Leader – MTS bei 151 Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Lead Whole Product Planning (WPP) and PLM Initiatives: Drive cross-functional WPP and product lifecycle taskforces, steering large-scale process improvements and IT transformation projects to enhance new product introduction and lifecycle management processes.

AI-Driven Product Planning Transformation: Leverage artificial intelligence tools to accelerate product planning and definition. This includes using AI for plan reviews and generating first-draft product collateral (e.g. datasheets, product briefs, presentations) to jump-start marketing content creation.

Evaluation Board (EVB) & Kit Governance: Oversee the governance and lifecycle management of product evaluation boards and reference design kits. Ensure robust processes (SOPs, templates) for planning, production, inventory, and quality of EVBs, so that new product launches have the required hardware kits available on time.

Cross-Functional Process Improvement: Develop and continuously refine best practices, templates, and matrices that improve execution across all product lifecycle phases. For example, maintain and update Whole Product Plan templates, and lead creation of clear roles and responsibilities (RACI) across Ramp, Mature, Decline, and End-of-Life phases of the product lifecycle.

Digital Transformation Projects: Drive digital tools implementation to support product planning and analytics. Work with IT on enhancing the WPP automation tool and related systems, and champion the use of dashboards (e.g. Tableau or PowerBI) for product portfolio reviews and KPI tracking.

New Product Launch Execution: Ensure that for each new product, a comprehensive “whole product” plan is developed and executed. This includes market requirement alignment, product value proposition, and all collateral (data sheets, application notes, reference designs, training materials) and samples needed for a successful launch.

Collaboration and Alignment: Work closely with Product Marketing, R&D/Design, Sales, Operations, and Corporate Marketing teams to align product definitions and launch plans. Facilitate interlock meetings and reviews so that stakeholders in all departments contribute to and buy into the product plan (e.g. sales agrees on target customers, ops on supply readiness, etc.)

Continuous Improvement & Reporting: Track and report on key metrics for product planning efficacy and product performance versus plan. Identify gaps or delays in whole product deliverables and drive corrective actions. Continuously improve the WPP process through post-mortem analyses and incorporate feedback into process updates.

EVB/Kit Program Oversight: Chair the EVB/Kit taskforce meetings to review status of demo hardware development, resolve roadblocks in EVB supply or documentation, and improve customer out-of-box experience. Ensure lessons learned in kit development feed back into future product plans (for example, improved budgeting of kit lead times, or better documentation standards). 

Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical or related field) required; MBA or advanced degree is a plus.

Industry Experience: 10+ years of experience in the semiconductor industry, with substantial experience in product marketing, applications engineering, or related technical product management roles. At least 5 years in a project or team leadership capacity managing cross-functional initiatives or teams.

Semiconductor Process Knowledge: Strong understanding of semiconductor product development cycles and business processes – from initial concept and requirements, through design and launch, to sustaining and end-of-life. Familiarity with product lifecycle management practices and tools (e.g., Agile PLM or similar) is required.

AI and Analytical Skills: Demonstrated ability to utilize data and analytics in decision-making. Experience with AI tools or frameworks for business process improvement is highly desirable (for example, using AI for document generation or data analysis in planning). Must be able to interpret complex data (financial models, market trends, KPI dashboards) to glean insights and drive actions.

Project & Program Leadership: Proven track record of leading major cross-functional projects or process transformations in a corporate environment. Ability to define project scopes, milestones, and drive execution across multiple departments. Project management skills (prioritization, risk mitigation, agile methodologies) are important.

Process Improvement Orientation: Hands-on experience in developing or improving business processes. Able to document workflows, define SOPs, and train teams on new procedures. Experience driving digital transformation or IT system implementation for process automation is a plus (e.g., involvement in rolling out a new PLM module or an automation tool)

Technical Expertise: Solid understanding of product marketing collateral and tools needed for semiconductor products (data sheets, application notes, eval boards, reference designs, etc.). Experience ensuring the creation of such collateral or working directly on customer-facing technical content is valuable.

Leadership & Communication: Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Capable of inspiring and guiding teams beyond direct reports, and of communicating effectively with executive leadership as well as engineers. Should be comfortable presenting plans and status to upper management and obtaining buy-in from stakeholders at various levels.

Global Collaboration: Experience working with or managing teams across multiple geographies. Cultural awareness and ability to collaborate with colleagues and customers worldwide. Proven ability to influence and coordinate distributed teams to achieve common objectives.

Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Proactive and self-driven, with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement. Able to handle ambiguity and change, steering teams through evolving priorities or organizational changes.