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Senior Technical Program Manager, Photonic Hardware & Embedded Systems
Keysight Technologies, Inc.
Source: Headcount Labs · original listing ↗
Job data: Headcount Labs, ODbL 1.0. Job descriptions belong to their employers.
Posted Oct 15
About this role
Overview [Keysight](https://www.keysight.com/us/en/about.html) is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~16,800 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more [about what we do.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykxkSz5DlPo&t=16s) Our [award-winning](https://jobs.keysight.com/awards) culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers. About the Role We are looking for a Senior Technical Program Manager to own the outcome of programs that span both the physical hardware platform and the embedded software that runs on it. Accountability extends beyond schedule to the product itself: delivered on time, at target cost, with the performance that differentiates it, and manufacturable at scale. The role sits at the intersection of hardware engineering, embedded and firmware development, manufacturing, and product, and carries accountability for what those teams collectively deliver without direct authority over any of them. The work is genuinely cross-disciplinary: hardware bring-up issues affect firmware timelines, embedded software readiness affects qualification schedules, and a change on one side of that boundary creates hidden risk on the other. The role requires enough technical depth to understand both halves of that system, to recognize a developing failure mode before it is reported, and to drive the resulting decision through to a conclusion. This is a senior-level role. You will be expected to bring structure to ambiguity, make judgment calls on incomplete information, and examine plans and readiness claims closely: whether a schedule carries realistic slack, whether test coverage assumes the first build works, whether a supplier commitment has been confirmed. Where a plan does not hold up, we expect you to say so and to implement corrective actions. Responsibilities End-to-End Program Ownership * Own the program end to end, from requirements through hardware bring-up, embedded software integration, qualification, manufacturing readiness, customer deployment, and post-launch review. Accountability extends to four outcomes: schedule, product cost, the performance that differentiates the product, and manufacturability at volume * Drive hardware engineering, embedded and firmware engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and product toward a single committed plan, holding these teams to their commitments without direct authority over any of them * Partner directly with hardware and embedded/firmware engineers on architecture trade-offs, integration test planning, and qualification strategy, with enough understanding of the work to question assumptions behind it * Develop and maintain the integrated master schedule, critical path, dependencies, and resource plan across hardware and embedded software workstreams, and track product cost against target alongside schedule * Own the risk process end to end, covering identification, ownership, mitigation plans, and closure timelines, with particular attention to risks that cross the hardware and software boundary. Identify developing failure modes early, and escalate where a mitigation is not working, in time for the program to respond * Review plans and readiness claims for the evidence behind them, and withhold gate approval where that evidence is not present * Engage supply chain and manufacturing during design so that product cost and manufacturability are addressed alongside schedule and performance, rather than at handoff Decision Making & Communication * Deliver weekly internal status updates and monthly program reports (to leadership and customers) covering milestone and schedule performance, critical path status, cost against target, key accomplishments, and risk and issue summaries, with a recommended course of action where the program is off plan * Translate deep technical detail into clear, decision-ready updates for engineering leadership and executives, including root cause, impact, recovery plan, and the decision required * Build and maintain executive-ready dashboards and reporting tools (Jira, Confluence, or equivalent) that keep a complex, multi-workstream program legible to everyone involved * Keep all program documentation — schedules, plans, reports, action logs — current and accessible Customer Engagement * Partner closely with customers and product managers to clarify requirements, review progress, manage expectations, and resolve escalations * Facilitate milestone reviews, demonstrations, and acceptance activities throughout the delivery lifecycle Process & Governance * Establish and maintain program governance — milestone reviews, risk management, issue escalation, and change control * Drive continuous improvement of program processes, playbooks, and operating rhythms, promoting execution consistency across multiple concurrent programs * Support portfolio-level planning, resource prioritization, and cross-program coordination as needed Qualifications You May Be a Good Fit If You * Have 8 or more years of technical program management experience, including meaningful, hands-on experience with both photonic hardware platform development and the embedded software or firmware running on that hardware * Have genuine technical depth — comfortable in a hardware bring-up or schematic review, and equally comfortable in a conversation about firmware architecture, RTOS constraints, or embedded integration testing * Have delivered an optical product to a cost target and can describe the trade-offs it required * Have a track record of delivering complex, cross-functional programs to completion through teams you do not manage * Can take a loosely scoped, ambiguous problem and turn it into a concrete plan with clear owners and milestones * Are rigorous about detail, and check the evidence behind a date, a readiness claim, or a dependency rather than accepting it as reported * Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and can translate between hardware engineers, embedded software engineers, and executive stakeholders without losing accuracy in either direction * Hold a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience (advanced degree preferred) * Own risk and dependency management across the full hardware and software development lifecycle, including manufacturing readiness and validation * Have experience coordinating across R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain organizations * Are comfortable managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities and aggressive schedules * Are proficient with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence, or similar program management tools * PMP, Scrum/Agile certification, or equivalent is a plus, not a requirement Preferred Qualifications * Strong customer-facing leadership experience, including executive-level communication and escalation management * Experience in high-technology industries (e.g., photonics/optics, satellite, networking, test & measurement) * Experience leading complex hardware/software customer programs * Demonstrated hands-on experience with fiber-optic equipment/ optical components and/or photonic systems * Knowledge about direct-detection and coherent optical communication systems Success in This Role Looks Like * The product ships on the committed date, at or below target cost, and meets the performance specifications that differentiate it. Customer milestones and contractual commitments are met * The product is manufacturable at volume at launch, with yield and process capability demonstrated * Risks and issues are identified early and driven to closure * Cross-functional teams work to a single agreed plan, and schedule or cost deviations are raised by the program manager early enough to act on * Program documentation and reporting are accurate, current, and accessible * Predictable, no-surprise program execution [Careers Privacy Statement](https://about.keysight.com/en/jobs/careers_privacy_statement.pdf) *Keysight is an Equal Opportunity Employer.*