Deputy Director, Partnerships & Technical Integration

Job Title: Deputy Director, Partnerships & Technical Integration

Job Location: Milpitas, CA or Remote (US)

Salary: $196,000-$210,000

Department: Workforce Development, NNME 

Although we’re small, we’re mighty and influence and impact society at large positively. At SEMI, we offer opportunities to connect and interact with world leaders, industry legends, and rising stars. We help our members develop public and private policies to strengthen global supply chains and promote business growth and prosperity. Learn and grow professionally through career opportunities such as rotational assignments. Contribute by influencing and impacting an industry that is the foundation for innovation and positive change in areas like environmental sustainability, thought leadership, and workforce development. We take pride in offering work-life balance so you can live your personal and professional life to the fullest. 

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome all to apply

SEMI Foundation | National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) 

The Opportunity: 

The U.S. is projected to significantly fall short semiconductor workers by 2030 against more than $390 billion in announced investment. NNME exists to close that gap. 

Backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the Department of Commerce, NNME currently connects four Regional Nodes and more than 325 performer organizations into a single national system. The SEMI Foundation serves as National Coordinating Hub, drawing on a global association of over 4,000 microelectronics companies. 

This role is for a semiconductor leader who wants their technical judgment to shape how an entire country trains its workforce, at national scale, with federal backing, at the moment it matters most. 

Position Summary 

The National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) seeks a senior semiconductor industry leader to serve as Deputy Director, Partnerships & Technical Integration. In partnership with the Director for Education, Evaluation & Network Performance, this executive will ensure NNME's workforce, education, and partnership strategies remain technically relevant, industry-informed, and responsive to current and emerging needs of the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem.  

As the primary technical and industry liaison between NNME and the broader semiconductor ecosystem, this leader will leverage the unique position of the SEMI Foundation to connect NNME and its Regional Nodes with employers, technical experts, emerging technologies, workforce intelligence, and strategic partnerships.  

The role provides leadership at the intersection of semiconductor technology, workforce development, industry engagement, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and national workforce strategy. 

Key Responsibilities 

Industry & Technology Alignment 

• Lead NNME's strategy to align semiconductor technology and industry needs with workforce development and educational outcomes.   
• Monitor technology trends and assess implications for occupations, workforce demand, skills, and education pathways. 
• Ensure workforce and education initiatives reflect current industry practices, tools, technologies, and standards. 
• Translate industry intelligence into actionable recommendations for NNME leadership and Regional Nodes, so initiatives reflect current practices and standards. 

Technical Quality, Validation & Workforce Intelligence  

• Ensure technical quality and industry relevance across NNME workforce and education initiatives. 
• Ensure strong industry validation processes for pathways, curricula, credentials, and competency frameworks, engaging employers, technical experts, and industry advisors to validate workforce requirements and educational strategies. 
• Liaise with the NNME Technical Consultant Working Group 
• Lead workforce intelligence efforts, identifying emerging occupations, skills, technologies, and future workforce needs and connecting those demand signals to training, credentialing, and pathway development strategies.  

AI, Automation & Emerging Technologies 

• Lead NNME's strategy related to artificial intelligence, automation, smart manufacturing, and other emerging technologies. 
• Assess the impact of technological change on semiconductor occupations and workforce requirements. 
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI-enabled tools, simulations, workforce intelligence, learning technologies, and digital solutions to strengthen workforce development outcomes. 
• Ensure NNME strategies remain aligned with evolving industry technology priorities.  

Strategic Partnerships & SEMI Engagement 

• Serve as NNME's primary industry and technical liaison to SEMI Americas. 
• Build and maintain relationships with semiconductor employers, SEMI member companies, technical communities, and national partners. 
• Leverage SEMI's ecosystem to provide expertise, market intelligence, standards knowledge, and workforce insights to NNME and Regional Nodes. 
• Represent NNME in industry, workforce, government, research, and education forums. 
• Strengthen employer participation in workforce planning, validation activities, experiential learning, and talent development initiatives. 

Regional Node & National Ecosystem Support 

• Identify strategic technical support for NNME Regional Nodes. 
• Facilitate access to technical experts, employer partners, and industry resources. 
• Support national Communities of Practice focused on technology, industry alignment, and emerging technologies. 
• Support collaboration among employers, educators, workforce organizations, researchers, and government partners. 
• Contribute to NNME strategic planning, sustainability initiatives, and long-term workforce ecosystem development.  

Executive Leadership 

• Serve as a visionary and inspiring leader within the NNME and contribute to overall organizational strategy, management, and health. 
• Collaborate with SEMI Foundation leadership, federal partners, industry stakeholders, and Regional Nodes to ensure NNME success. 
• Provide industry perspective to the NNME on performance assessment, continuous improvement, and strategic priorities. 
• Help ensure NNME remains responsive to workforce needs while anticipating future industry requirements.  

Qualifications 

Required 

• Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible experience in the semiconductor or microelectronics industry. 
• Demonstrated extensive senior leadership experience in semiconductor technology, manufacturing, workforce development, operations, engineering, or related functions. 
• Deep knowledge of the semiconductor ecosystem, including manufacturing, equipment, materials, packaging, testing, workforce requirements, and industry trends. 
• Experience translating technical and industry requirements into workforce, education, training, competency, or credentialing strategies. 
• Knowledge of competency frameworks, occupational standards, curriculum alignment, and industry validation practices. 
• Understanding of emerging technologies including AI, automation, advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, and related trends. 
• Proven success building strategic partnerships across industry, government, workforce, education, and research sectors. 
• Exceptional written and oral communication and stakeholder engagement skills.  
• Exceptional management and leadership skills; adept at engaging, supporting, and leading highly skilled teams. 

Preferred 

• Advanced degree in engineering, materials science, physics, business, workforce development, or related discipline. 
• Experience with SEMI, industry associations, or technology consortia. 
• Experience in semiconductor workforce development, education, training, career pathways, or credentialing initiatives. 
• Familiarity with CHIPS-related initiatives, NSF-funded programs, Microelectronics Commons, or similar national investments. 
• Experience with workforce forecasting, technology roadmapping, smart manufacturing, AI applications, or industry standards development.  

What Success Looks Like 

Success in this role means NNME workforce and education strategies consistently reflect current and future semiconductor workforce needs. The Deputy Director will establish strong industry partnerships, ensure educational pathways and credentials remain employer-validated, leverage SEMI's industry ecosystem as a strategic advantage, and position NNME to anticipate technological change rather than react to it. The result will be a stronger, nationally connected semiconductor workforce ecosystem that supports long-term U.S. competitiveness and workforce development goals.  

About NNME 

The National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) is a national workforce development initiative supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce. The SEMI Foundation serves as the NNME Coordinating Hub, connecting industry, education, workforce systems, and regional partners to strengthen America's semiconductor and microelectronics workforce pipeline. 

The SEMI Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2001 to support economic opportunity for workers and the sustained growth of the microelectronics industry. We accomplish this through creating pathways and opportunities for job seekers, and tools and systems for semiconductor companies to attract, develop, and retain a diverse, innovative, and skilled workforce. Visit us at semifoundation.org. SEMI is our parent company.  

ABOUT SEMI

SEMI® is the global industry association connecting over 4,000 companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. We accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs. Our SEMICON® expositions and events, technology coalitions, standards and market intelligence help advance our members’ business growth and innovations in design, devices, equipment, materials, services and software, enabling smarter, faster, more secure electronics. Visit www.semi.org, contact a regional office, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and X to learn more.