Sr Staff Director, Program Management - 2260

No Relocation Assistance Provided. 

KIOXIA America, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of KIOXIA Corporation, a leading worldwide supplier of flash memory and solid state drives (SSDs). From the invention of flash memory to today’s breakthrough BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory technology, KIOXIA continues to pioneer innovative memory, SSD and software solutions that enrich people's lives and expand society's horizons. The company's innovative BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory technology is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, SSDs, automotive, and data centers.

The Senior Staff Director, Program Management is a highly visible leadership role responsible for establishing, building, and leading Kioxia America Inc, Program Management capability. This role is designed to create a scalable, high-impact Program Management capability that strengthens execution across cross-functional initiatives spanning storage, memory, SSD, controller, firmware, software, and platform development.

This role requires a senior-level leader who can operate both strategically and hands-on, with technical depth and organizational influence to lead complex storage and memory-related programs. The Senior Staff Director will define how Program Management operates across the organization, establish scalable governance, processes, systems, tools, and operating mechanisms, and create a consistent execution model that improves visibility, accountability, cross-functional alignment, decision-making, and business outcomes.

The position will build and lead the Program Management team and partner extensively with Engineering, Product Management, Product Planning, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Sales, Finance, IT, and other internal functions as necessary. The role will also serve as a key point of alignment with global teams to ensure consistency in program priorities, technical roadmaps, processes, reporting, decision-making, and execution.

Success in this role will be measured by meaningful improvements in program performance, predictability, decision-making, organizational alignment, and overall execution.

Key Responsibilities

Build and Establish the Program Management Capability

• Build and formalize the KIOXIA’s Program Management function from the ground up.
• Define the Program Management operating model, team structure, responsibilities, engagement model, governance, and performance expectations.
• Establish scalable processes, methodologies, templates, systems, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms appropriate for a growing semiconductor company.
• Assess current practices across teams and unify fragmented or inconsistent approaches into a cohesive operating model.

Lead Complex Program Execution

• Drive programs across concept, architecture, development, validation, qualification, manufacturing readiness, launch, customer enablement, and sustaining phases.
• Establish integrated program plans with measurable objectives, schedules, milestones, deliverables, resource assumptions, technical dependencies, and success criteria.
• Drive accountability across Engineering and business teams for execution commitments and outcomes.
• Develop program health metrics, scorecards, KPIs, and executive reporting mechanisms.

Provide Technical and Domain Leadership

• Bring sufficient technical depth to credibly lead and challenge complex programs.
• Understand technical architectures, development dependencies, qualification requirements, product lifecycle stages, and key engineering tradeoffs.
• Translate technical risks, dependencies, and engineering issues into actionable business implications and leadership decisions.
• Partner with technical leaders to assess readiness, resolve interdependencies, and improve execution confidence.

Drive Integrated Cross-Functional Leadership

• Align organizations with differing objectives, priorities, and operating practices around unified program goals.
• Lead cross-functional planning, prioritization, risk resolution, and resource discussions.
• Improve collaboration between technical, operational, and commercial organizations.
• Influence stakeholders across a highly matrixed environment without relying solely on formal authority.

Align with Global Teams

• Serve as a key Program Management liaison between the company and its parent organization.
• Establish strong working relationships with corresponding global teams across Program Management, Engineering, Product, NAND technology, controllers, firmware, software, and Operations.
• Align internal programs with global teams’ products and technology roadmaps.
• Represent the local organization’s priorities, constraints, and capabilities to parent-company stakeholders.

Build Organizational Alignment and Capability

• Establish a unified Program Management approach across technical and business teams.
• Develop common planning standards, milestone definitions, reporting expectations, readiness criteria, and escalation processes.
• Educate leaders and teams on the role, value, and expectations of Program Management.
• Promote a culture of transparency, urgency, ownership, collaboration, and proactive risk management.

Lead Process, Systems, and Governance Improvements

• Assess existing tools, workflows, reporting systems, and sources of program data.
• Implement systems and dashboards that provide consistent visibility into program and portfolio health.
• Create centralized visibility into milestones, risks, issues, technical dependencies, decisions, and resource constraints.
• Develop governance mechanisms for prioritization, escalation, and resource planning.

Lead and Develop the Team

• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of approximately 3–5 Program Managers and/or Technical Program Managers.
• Define team roles, responsibilities, goals, performance measures, and development plans.
• Deploy resources based on company priorities, technical complexity, and business impact.
• Build a high-performing Program Management team capable of operating effectively across both technical and business organizations.

Executive Communication and Leadership

• Provide executive leadership with clear, concise, and actionable updates on major programs and portfolio health.
• Develop executive-level reviews that highlight progress, risks, dependencies, decisions, and actions needed.
• Present fact-based assessments of technical readiness, execution confidence, and program performance.
• Facilitate difficult cross-functional discussions and help drive timely decisions.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on program execution, organizational capability, and strategic priorities.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Business, Operations. Plus 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in Technical Program Management, Program Management, Engineering Management, Product Development, semiconductor technology, or a related field.  Memory or storage related industry leadership experience preferred.
• Deep technical knowledge in SSD, NAND flash memory architectures, data center, embedded storage, storage controllers, or memory-related technologies.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional programs involving multiple technical disciplines and business functions.
• Experience leading and developing Program Management professionals.  Experience managing hardware, embedded or firmware engineering teams.
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex technical architectures, identify interdependencies, assess risk, and translate technical issues into program and business impacts.
• Strong executive communication, facilitation, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Req#2260; #LI-CB1

The expected salary for this position is $209,170.00 - $348,620.00.

At KIOXIA, we value the following:

• Investment in you
  • Offering opportunities for career growth and personal development training
• Open-minded management
  • Empowering employees by listening and responding to ideas, issues, and approaches
• Flexible work-life balance
  • Offering a generous PTO allotment, holiday shutdown, and flexible work options
• Variety of cultures, perspectives, backgrounds and experiences of all our team members
  • Through our opportunity, belonging and respect initiatives, our focus is to strengthen our company culture to create an environment of belonging for all
• Benefits for our team members
  • Excellent medical and non-medical benefits, 401(k) matching, pet insurance

KIOXIA America, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.