Sr. Principal, Customer Program Management (US-Based, Supporting China Business)Location: San Jose, CA (Onsite)
Role OverviewAstera Labs is seeking a Sr. Principal, Customer Program Management to lead our most strategic China customer programs and build a scalable, cross-functional support model that connects those accounts to core functions at headquarters. Based in San Jose, you will serve as the senior bridge between customer-facing teams in China and HQ, driving execution across high-priority accounts while raising operating rigor, executive visibility, and responsiveness across regions.
As a purpose-built connectivity leader enabling rack-scale AI, Astera Labs is scaling fast - and this role is central to keeping that growth disciplined. You will align sales, field applications, product management, engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain around critical outcomes, ensuring commitments are met with urgency and a repeatable operating model that supports long-term success in China.
Key Responsibilities- Strategic Customer Program Leadership
- Own executive-level program leadership for strategic China customer engagements, from opportunity development through qualification, ramp, and production readiness
- Drive integrated program plans across customer milestones, product readiness, validation, operations, supply chain, and support workstreams
- Lead cross-functional execution across multiple complex programs with clear accountability for schedules, dependencies, risks, issues, and decision-making
- Serve as the primary escalation leader for program-level issues affecting customer commitments, quality, readiness, or business continuity
- Provide concise executive updates covering status, risk assessments, tradeoffs, recovery plans, and required decisions
- China Support Model and Operating Rhythm
- Partner with China sales and customer-facing teams to translate account priorities into aligned HQ workstreams and leadership attention
- Build and evolve a scalable support model connecting China teams with US-based product management, engineering, FAE, operations, quality, and supply chain functions
- Establish the governance, operating cadence, escalation paths, and communication mechanisms needed to improve responsiveness and accountability across regions
- Identify structural gaps in process, resourcing, documentation, or cross-functional handoffs, and lead improvement plans to close them
- Create repeatable program management frameworks that scale with Astera Labs' growth in China
- Executive Partnership and Business Impact
- Work closely with sales leadership and cross-functional executives to support strategic accounts, critical escalations, and business continuity planning
- Coordinate internal alignment for customer-specific requirements, custom feature requests, validation readiness, launch support, and operational readiness
- Ensure customer commitments are visible, tracked, and proactively managed across functions and levels of the organization
- Support executive reviews, QBRs, and business updates with clear program insights, risk framing, and action plans
Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field
- 12+ years of experience in program management, customer program management, technical account management, or related cross-functional leadership roles
- Significant experience leading complex customer-facing programs in semiconductors, data center infrastructure, networking, interconnect, or other deep-tech hardware environments
- Proven success influencing senior stakeholders and driving cross-functional execution across engineering, product, operations, quality, and commercial teams
- Strong experience managing schedules, risks, dependencies, and escalations in fast-moving, high-ambiguity environments
- Excellent executive communication skills, including the ability to synthesize issues, frame tradeoffs, and drive decisions quickly
Preferred Qualifications- Advanced degree in Engineering, Operations, or Business
- Experience supporting customers, partners, or business operations in China, with Mandarin language capability a plus
- Familiarity with hyperscaler, CSP, GPU, ODM, OEM, or AI infrastructure ecosystems
- Experience with NPI, validation, qualification, production ramp, or customer launch processes
- Experience building or improving operating models for globally distributed teams, with willingness to work flexibly across US and China business hours and travel internationally as business needs require
Salary range is $205,000 to $260,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.
