Senior Site Lead

The Senior Site Lead serves as Cisco's primary operational representative at a strategic manufacturing partner and is responsible for driving day-to-day execution, operational performance, and site readiness across the manufacturing lifecycle.

This role acts as the “quarterback” for assigned manufacturing sites, ensuring alignment between factory execution and Cisco business objectives. The Senior Site Lead works across Supply Planning, Capacity Planning, NPI/Ramp Planning, Engineering, Procurement, and Supplier Management functions to drive output, improve performance, resolve constraints, and enable successful product ramps.

The ideal candidate combines deep semiconductor manufacturing expertise with strong operational leadership, analytical problem solving, and the ability to influence both internal stakeholders and supplier partners.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Execution Leadership

• Serve as the primary operational interface between Cisco and assigned manufacturing partners.

• Drive execution of production plans and delivery commitments.

• Monitor site performance and proactively identify operational risks.

• Ensure manufacturing performance supports business objectives for delivery, quality, and responsiveness.

• Lead site execution reviews and operational cadence meetings.

Output & Cycle Time Management

• Drive improvements in factory output, throughput, and cycle time performance.

• Monitor production execution against established manufacturing plans.

• Partner with engineering and supplier teams to identify, resolve, and prevent production issues.

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action activities for operational challenges.

Capacity & Constraint Management

• Identify and escalate operational bottlenecks impacting production output.

• Partner with Capacity Planning teams to validate factory capability and readiness.

• Drive local execution plans to maximize utilization of available capacity.

• Provide timely visibility to capacity limitations, recovery actions, and risks.

NPI & Ramp Readiness

• Lead manufacturing readiness activities for new product introductions and production ramps.

• Coordinate factory readiness across materials, process, equipment, test, and quality functions.

• Monitor ramp performance and drive actions to close gaps against business objectives.

• Support prototype builds, qualification activities, and volume production transitions.

Supplier Operations

• Establish strong working relationships with supplier operations, engineering, and management teams.

• Lead operational reviews and manage issue escalation processes.

• Drive accountability for execution of delivery, quality, and readiness commitments.

• Ensure supplier actions align with Cisco priorities and manufacturing plans.

Material & Inventory Execution

• Monitor material flows across the manufacturing network.

• Ensure inventory accuracy and visibility throughout the production process.

• Identify and mitigate material shortages, excess inventory, and execution risks.

• Support efficient movement of wafers, substrates, WIP, and finished goods.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the central point of integration between factory operations and Cisco planning organizations.

• Communicate operational risks, constraints, and opportunities to stakeholders.

• Support alignment between manufacturing execution and business priorities.

• Facilitate rapid issue resolution across multiple functions and organizations.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive initiatives that improve factory performance, predictability, and efficiency.

• Utilize operational data and KPI trends to identify improvement opportunities.

• Promote disciplined execution and problem-solving methodologies.

• Support implementation of automation, reporting, and operational excellence initiatives.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop a high-performing site-facing operations team.

• Build organizational capability, succession plans, and future Site Leadership talent.

• Foster a collaborative culture focused on accountability, urgency, and business partnership.

• Influence executive stakeholders and supplier leadership teams to drive alignment and results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Manufacturing, or related field.

• 10+ years of semiconductor manufacturing, operations, supply chain, or supplier management experience.

• Experience working with foundries, OSATs, test suppliers, or advanced packaging partners.

• Strong understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes and operational metrics.

• Proven ability to manage complex issues across multiple organizations and geographies.

• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and driving supplier accountability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting advanced node technologies, advanced packaging, or high-volume semiconductor production.

• Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills.

• Expertise in manufacturing execution, capacity management, yield improvement, or production ramp management.

• Experience working in a fabless semiconductor environment.

• Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Output attainment versus plan

• On-time delivery performance

• Cycle time reduction

• Capacity utilization effectiveness

• Ramp readiness and execution

• Supplier performance improvements

• Inventory health and material availability

• Speed of issue resolution

• Overall operational predictability and execution excellence

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.