Materials Program Manager
About this role
Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Lead material planning and sourcing strategies for test interface solutions.
Identify and qualify new suppliers globally, ensuring compliance with quality and NPI program requirements.
Manage material readiness through all program phases, concept, prototyping, NPI phase gates, and production ramp.
Partner closely with product development to ensure supply continuity and inventory optimization for assigned NPI programs.
Drive early engagement with suppliers during NPI to validate material readiness, ramp capability, and capacity planning including localization to support both NPI and production requirements.
Monitor lead times, allocation risks, and component obsolescence; proactively mitigate risks through alternative sourcing or strategic buys.
Represent Supply Chain in cross functional program meetings, providing updates on material status, cost exposure and delivery risks.
Manage supplier forecasts, MOQ, NCNR liabilities, and inventory buffers in alignment with demand volatility.
Drive resolution of material shortages, quality issues, and last time buys in coordination with quality and engineering teams.
Monitor contract compliance and performance obligations, assist with the management of commercial contracts, and spend with key suppliers.
Identify and assess supplier risks including financial stability, geopolitical exposure, cybersecurity and ESG.
Develop and enforce procurement policies, SOP’s and frameworks.
Prepare executive level program updates on material readiness, spend, and risk management.
Negotiate pricing, terms, and contracts to achieve the best value for the company.
Support should cost modeling, benchmarking, and total cost of ownership analysis.
Issue purchase orders based upon MRP requirements and NPI program management team requests.
Monitor supplier deliveries and expedite orders to meet NPI schedules.
Assist with other duties as required.
Education and/or Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, or a related field, and or equivalent work experience (industry certifications such as CPSM/APICS are a plus).
5+ years of experience in semiconductor supply chain, materials management, or NPI program management.
Strong understanding of semiconductor manufacturing flows (front-end, back-end test) and related material dependencies
Experience working with global suppliers in US, Asia, and Europe.
Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems (e.g. SAP, Oracle) and planning tools
Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills; able to work in a fast passed, cross functional environment.
Comfortable managing through ambiguity and influencing teams without direct authority.
Ability to use MS office suite of products (Excel, Word, Access).
Proven written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to read and understand machined part drawings.
Computer skills including file and data transfer experience.
Understanding of machined part fabrication techniques and methods.
Company at a glance
Cohu is the leading supplier of semiconductor test handlers and contactors, and a growing provider of automated test equipment, inspection & metrology solutions, and data analytics software to optimize semiconductor manufacturing yield and productivity. Cohu’s differentiated and broad product portfolio enables optimized yield and productivity, accelerating customers’ manufacturing time-to-market.
Cohu is a publicly traded (NASDAQ: COHU) global company with headquarters in Poway, CA. We have a global footprint with ~3,000 employees.
We are the leading supplier of Semiconductor Test and Inspection & Metrology Handlers and Test Contactors. We have market leadership in RF Power Amplifier/Front-End Module Testing.
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