Sr. Principal, Customer Program Management (US-Based, Supporting China Business)

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.

Sr. Principal, Customer Program Management (US-Based, Supporting China Business)

Location: San Jose, CA (Onsite)

Role Overview

Astera 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.

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.