Principal NPI Planner

Astera Labs

Shanghai Shi, China

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for experienced supply chain professionals who coordinate cross-functional teams and manage hardware manufacturing timelines in Asia.

Best fit for

Experienced supply chain professionals with a history of managing hardware manufacturing timelines in Asia
— “Experience working with global suppliers, contract manufacturers, and manufacturing partners in Asia.”
Candidates who have driven new product launches through complex supply chain and engineering coordination
— “You will work across engineering, operations, procurement, and quality to support order fulfillment, surface risks early, resolve constraints, and improve launch execution.”
Individuals with a technical background in electronics assembly and contract manufacturing environments
— “Experience in PCBA hardware manufacturing, specifically within electronics assembly and contract manufacturing environments.”

Things to consider

This role demands strong coordination across multiple departments and external partners
— “You will work across engineering, operations, procurement, and quality to support order fulfillment.”
The position requires managing production readiness from early engineering builds through manufacturing ramp
— “drive material and production readiness for new hardware products, from early engineering builds through manufacturing ramp.”

How to stand out

Highlight experience in resolving supplier constraints and managing material shortages
— “Identify material shortages, supplier constraints, capacity gaps, and schedule risks, then drive mitigation plans.”
Emphasize cross-functional coordination in your resume and interview responses
— “Partner with hardware engineering, operations, procurement, and the internal contract manufacturing team.”
Demonstrate your ability to create planning dashboards and data-driven metrics
— “Experience creating planning dashboards, shortage reports, and data-driven operating metrics.”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

Drive material and production readiness for new hardware products
Build and maintain detailed build plans
Support order fulfillment
Identify and mitigate risks

Typical background

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, Business8+ years of experience in NPI planning, supply chain planning, production planning, or manufacturing operations

Skills & requirements

Required

NPI PlanningSupply Chain PlanningProduction PlanningManufacturing OperationsPCBA Hardware ManufacturingMaterial Requirements PlanningSupply-demand PlanningInventory ManagementSupplier Coordination

Preferred

AutomationAI

Stack & domain

Material Requirements PlanningSupply-demand PlanningInventory ManagementSupplier CoordinationMicrosoft ToolsInfluence Cross-functional TeamsManage Competing PrioritiesDrive Timely ResolutionSemiconductorAI InfrastructureRack-scale AIConnectivity Solutions

About the role

Original posting from Astera Labs via Greenhouse

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.
Role Overview
Astera Labs is seeking a principal board NPI planner to drive material and production readiness for new hardware products, from early engineering builds through manufacturing ramp. You will turn complex requirements into executable plans, ensuring PCBA components, assemblies, suppliers, and build schedules are aligned to program milestones.
This role is central to bringing purpose-built connectivity solutions to market quickly and reliably as Astera Labs scales its rack-scale AI infrastructure portfolio. You will work across engineering, operations, procurement, and quality to support order fulfillment, surface risks early, resolve constraints, and improve launch execution in a fast-moving semiconductor environment.
Key Responsibilities
· Planning & Execution
o Own PCBA planning activities through production ramp readiness.
o Build and maintain detailed build plans covering BOM readiness, material availability, purchase orders, supplier commitments, and production milestones.
o Track planning-system transactions, inventory, shortages, and material status to keep the builds on schedule.
o Support order fulfillment against internal and external demand.
o Support local manufacturing activities and resolve execution issues as they arise.
· Cross-Functional & Manufacturing Coordination
o Partner with hardware engineering, operations, procurement, and the internal contract manufacturing team to align demand, supply, and execution plans.
o Coordinate PCBA readiness across component suppliers, PCB and assembly partners, and test or manufacturing teams.
o Support build execution by monitoring work-in-progress, finished goods, configuration changes, and handoffs into sustaining or high-volume manufacturing.
· Risk Management & Launch Communication
o Identify material shortages, supplier constraints, capacity gaps, and schedule risks, then drive mitigation plans to protect launch milestones.
o Prepare clear status reports, readiness assessments, and escalation materials for program and operations reviews.
o Analyze supply, delivery, and cost tradeoffs and recommend actions that improve schedule predictability and inventory efficiency.
Basic Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations, Business, or a related field.
· 8+ years of experience in NPI planning, supply chain planning, production planning, or manufacturing operations.
· Experience in PCBA hardware manufacturing, specifically within electronics assembly and contract manufacturing environments.
· Strong working knowledge of material requirements planning, supply-demand planning, inventory management, and supplier coordination.
· Experience building and managing detailed schedules across multiple cross-functional stakeholders.
· Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and hands-on experience with ERP or MRP systems, with strong analytical and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
· Experience supporting new product introductions for data center or AI infrastructure products.
· Familiarity with PCBAs, bills of material, approved vendor lists, engineering changes, component lifecycle management, and manufacturing readiness gates.
· Experience working with global suppliers, contract manufacturers, and manufacturing partners in Asia.
· Experience creating planning dashboards, shortage reports, and data-driven operating metrics using Microsoft tools.
· Ability to influence cross-functional teams, manage competing priorities, and drive timely resolution in a high-growth environment.
We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.

Source: Astera Labs careers (Greenhouse)