Development Program Sr. Manager

Job Description:

The Advantest Innovation Center is seeking a highly motivated and strategic Partner Development Manager to spearhead collaboration efforts within the semiconductor testing ecosystem. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying, building, and maintaining strategic partnerships that align with Advantest's Innovation Center goals. This role is essential in fostering relationships with industry leaders, academic institutions, research organizations, and technology partners to advance innovation and ensure the continuous development of cutting-edge semiconductor testing solutions.

As the Partner Development Manager, you will play a pivotal role in both inbound and outbound partnership engagements, developing and driving the strategic plan and leading collaboration efforts on joint R&D projects, technology integration, pilot programs, and strategic innovation initiatives. You will also be responsible for establishing clear communication channels, defining collaboration frameworks, and ensuring long-term value from each partnership.

Responsibilities include:

• Strategic Partnership Development:




• Strategic Leadership: Supports executive leadership in strategy development for new product development opportunities across the Product Lifecycle.
• Develop and execute inbound and outbound partner engagement strategies to foster long-term, impactful collaborations.
• Lead negotiations and formalize agreements, including joint development, technology licensing, and strategic
  co-marketing initiatives.
• Identify, assess, and establish new partnerships with key stakeholders, including semiconductor companies, academic institutions, industry consortia, start-ups and innovation hubs.
• Works with customers and partners to develop business engagements.
• Develop consortium strategy plan
• Create and Lead periodic workshops to foster the strategic goals and initiatives of the Advantest Innovation Center customer/partner program.




• Collaboration Management:




• Act as the primary point of contact for external partners, ensuring consistent and effective communication.
• Facilitate joint R&D initiatives and oversee the development of collaboration frameworks, including resource allocation and milestone tracking.
• Monitor the progress of ongoing partnerships and coordinate regular progress reviews.
• Ensure smooth execution of collaborative projects, including coordinating engineering resources, data-sharing protocols, and technical contributions from all involved parties.




• Customer Engagement:




• Works closely with customers to understand their needs and support/enable novel solution paths.




• Technical Support:




• Provides technical expertise during the pre-sales / customer relationship building process. Understands market needs and business value proposition for technical solution areas.
• Works with internal engineering teams to contribute to the solution architecture.




• Business Development Support:




• Collaborates with Advantest marketing and sales teams in achieving goals. Contributes to business growth by leveraging customer relationships and technical expertise.




• Development Operations Support:




• Works across internal and external development partners to build holistic solutions and mediate cross-functional constraints.




• Governance and IP Management:




• Assist with developing and managing protocols for intellectual property (IP) rights, licensing, and co-innovation agreements, ensuring that (Advantest's) innovations are adequately protected.
• Establish governance structures, including steering committees and technical working groups, to guide partnership outcomes.




• Performance Monitoring and Reporting:




• Set and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to partnership outcomes, including technical milestones, project deliverables, and commercial benefits.
• Provide regular updates and reports to leadership on partnership progress, challenges, and success metrics.
• Utilize data-driven insights to optimize partner engagement strategies and identify areas for improvement.




• Risk Management:




• Identify potential risks associated with partnerships, including technical, financial, and regulatory challenges, and develop proactive mitigation strategies.
• Address conflicts or misalignments swiftly to maintain healthy and productive partnerships.




• Market and Technology Awareness:




• Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and strategic shifts within the semiconductor testing landscape.
• Evaluate potential partners for technical synergy, financial feasibility, and alignment with Advantest's strategic roadmap.




• Outreach and Advocacy:




• Represent the Advantest Innovation Center at industry events, conferences, and consortium meetings to build brand awareness and strengthen industry relationships.
• Advocate for Advantest's innovation initiatives within the partner ecosystem.