Productivity Program Manager

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world. 

What We Offer

Salary:

Location:

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

Job Summary

The SPO organization is seeking execution-driven productivity leaders who combine strong field credibility with advanced analytics and program management expertise. These leaders are expected to operate at the intersection of data insights and field execution, enabling scalable and sustainable productivity impact across the organization. In this role, productivity leaders will drive global initiatives end-to-end, starting from data-driven opportunity identification, through prioritization and structured execution, and into long-term sustainment.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate complex field and operational data into actionable insights and improvement opportunities.
• Build and manage a prioritized pipeline of productivity initiatives aligned with strategic business objectives.
• Lead cross-functional teams across regions and functions to drive execution and achieve measurable productivity gains.
• Ensure disciplined program management, governance, and accountability throughout implementation.
• Develop scalable adoption mechanisms, including standard work processes, performance dashboards, and structured change management frameworks.
• Embed improvements into daily operations to ensure long-term sustainability and continuous performance improvement.
• Provide executive-level reporting and visibility into initiative progress, risks, and business outcomes.
• Facilitate governance and decision-making forums to support prioritization, alignment, and value realization.
• Track, measure, and communicate the impact of productivity initiatives across the organization.
• Drive sustainable, repeatable productivity improvements that can be scaled globally.

Education & Background:

Bachelor's degree in one of the following disciplines:

• Industrial Engineering
• Operations Management
• Mechanical Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Data Science
• Analytics or a related field

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification
• Project or Program Management certifications (e.g., PMP, Agile)

Experience Requirements 

3-5 years in: 

• Operations
• Service Operations
• Manufacturing
• Industrial Engineering
• Productivity Improvement
• Continuous Improvement (CI)

Proven experience in: 

• Cycle time reduction and cost optimization initiatives
• Process improvement and Lean implementation
• Leading cross-functional projects and transformation initiatives
• Strong data orientation: 
  • Working with dashboards (Power BI, Tableau) 
  • Translating data into actionable improvements 
• Change management & stakeholder influencing without authority 

Preferred / Differentiating Experience

• Experience leading global programs across multiple regions
• Exposure to field or frontline operations
• Experience driving adoption of data and productivity tools
• Proven track record of leading end-to-end transformation initiatives, from strategy and analysis through implementation and sustainment

Additional Information

Time Type:

Employee Type:

Travel:

Relocation Eligible:

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.