Lead Program Manager, Strategic Operations & Organizational Effectiveness

Job description

Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we’re living in and that we have the power to shape. Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality. Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward. The FPD Operations Office partners with senior leadership to drive organizational effectiveness, strategic initiatives, communications, employee engagement, executive operating rhythms, and cross-functional alignment across a global engineering organization. The team serves as a key enabler of organizational health, execution excellence, and business transformation. This role reports to the Head of FPD Operations Office and acts as a force multiplier for organizational effectiveness, alignment, and execution. The successful candidate will independently lead high-visibility organizational programs, drive cross-functional initiatives, build strong relationships across the organization, and translate leadership priorities into measurable outcomes. The ideal candidate is highly proactive, thrives in ambiguity, demonstrates sound business judgment, and can effectively influence stakeholders without direct authority. (independent) Primary Responsibilities 1. Organizational Initiatives & Transformation Lead and drive strategic initiatives that improve organizational effectiveness, collaboration, execution excellence, and alignment across the organization. Several initiatives: partner / vendor collaboration & management Responsibilities include: Defining objectives, success metrics, and execution plans Building stakeholder alignment and driving decision-making processes Establishing governance models and operating rhythms Managing risks, dependencies, and issue resolution Driving cross-functional execution and sustainable adoption Supporting organizational change management and transformation efforts Identifying opportunities to improve organizational effectiveness and operational efficiency 2. Employee Engagement, Recognition & Communications Lead organization-wide engagement, recognition, community-building, and communication initiatives that strengthen culture, transparency, alignment, and employee experience. Areas of responsibility include: Employee recognition and appreciation programs Organizational communications and communication channels Employee engagement initiatives Technical and leadership community programs Leadership forums and roundtables Organizational newsletters and communication campaigns Employee feedback and listening mechanisms All-hands and organizational engagement activities Responsibilities include: Designing scalable engagement programs Developing communication strategies and content Driving employee participation and community building Reinforcing organizational priorities and key messages Measuring engagement effectiveness and continuous improvement opportunities 3. Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Alignment Develop trusted relationships across key stakeholders and leverage cross-functional partnerships to drive organizational priorities and execution. Responsibilities include: Aligning stakeholders around common objectives and priorities Resolving organizational and operational challenges Facilitating collaboration across functions and organizations Driving adoption of strategic initiatives Accelerating decision making and execution Influencing outcomes without direct authority Leveraging existing networks, resources, and subject matter experts to achieve organizational objectives 4. Executive Communications & Leadership Enablement Partner closely with the Head of FPD Operations Office to support executive engagement, organizational alignment, and leadership communications. Areas of support include: Leadership staff meetings Business reviews and organizational reviews Leadership forums and all-hands meetings Executive presentations and communications Leadership messaging and organizational updates Strategic planning and follow-through activities Responsibilities include: Developing executive-ready presentations and communications Creating clear and consistent leadership messaging Tracking key actions, decisions, and commitments Ensuring alignment and follow-through on organizational priorities Supporting execution of major leadership events and operating rhythms Critical Success Factors The ideal candidate will demonstrate: Strategic ThinkingAbility to connect organizational strategy, business priorities, and day-to-day execution. Enterprise InfluenceBuilds alignment and drives outcomes across organizations without direct authority. Executive PresenceComfortably engages Directors, Senior Directors, Vice Presidents, and key stakeholders. Program LeadershipIndependently leads complex, high-visibility initiatives from concept through execution. Organizational Effectiveness MindsetContinuously identifies ways to improve alignment, collaboration, execution, and organizational health. Self-Starter MentalityCreates momentum, identifies gaps, and drives solutions with minimal direction. Exceptional CommunicationDevelops clear, executive-ready messaging and drives alignment at scale. Required 8+ years of experience in strategic programs, business operations, organizational effectiveness, strategy & planning, chief of staff functions, or cross-functional transformation initiatives. Experience supporting engineering, technology, product development, or similarly complex organizations. Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and drive outcomes without direct authority. Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills. Proven track record leading highly visible cross-functional initiatives. Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and executive communication skills. Ability to thrive in ambiguous environments and translate strategy into execution. Preferred Semiconductor, storage, hardware, or technology industry experience. Background in Business Operations, Strategy & Planning, Organizational Effectiveness, PMO, or Chief of Staff functions. Experience working across global and highly matrixed organizations. Sandisk is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their race, color, ancestry, religion (including religious dress and grooming standards), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), gender (including a person’s gender identity, gender expression, and gender-related appearance and behavior, whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status (including domestic partnership status), physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, protected medical and family care leave, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. We also prohibit harassment of any individual on any of the characteristics listed above. Our non-discrimination policy applies to all