Sr. Program Manager – Product Innovation at Sandisk

SanDisk’s Product Innovation Team operates at the front end of innovation—accelerating product concepts from early exploration through readiness for Product, Engineering, and Go-To-Market (GTM) incubation. As the Senior Program Manager – Product Innovation, you will lead the operational execution and program infrastructure that enables the innovation portfolio to move from insight to validated concept with speed and discipline. You will partner closely with the Director of Product Management – Product Innovation to translate innovation strategy into executable programs while ensuring discovery initiatives are managed through structured governance and evidence-based decision making. This role is responsible for building and running the program management operating model for the innovation organization, including portfolio planning, cross-functional execution, discovery gate governance, and Atlassian-based workflows. You will enable teams across Product, Engineering, Research, Industrial Design, Software, and Ecosystem Development to collaborate effectively while navigating the ambiguity inherent in early-stage innovation. The outcome of this role is a high-performing innovation operating system that enables SanDisk to rapidly explore, validate, and advance new product concepts. What You’ll Do Lead Innovation Program & Portfolio Management • Own end-to-end program management for the Product Innovation portfolio, supporting multiple concurrent concept initiatives across domains such as Edge AI, wireless technologies, wearables, and immersive computing. • Translate innovation priorities into clear program roadmaps, milestones, and execution plans. • Track concept progression across discovery stages (Gate 0–Gate 3), ensuring entry and exit criteria are met. • Identify risks, dependencies, and tradeoffs early, enabling proactive mitigation and timely decision-making. Build and Operate the Innovation PMO • Establish and run the PMO operating model supporting the innovation portfolio. • Own Atlassian-based workflows and tooling, including: • Jira Product Discovery for opportunity intake, hypothesis tracking, and prioritization • Jira for sprint execution and cross-functional development workstreams • Confluence as the system of record for concept briefs, evidence logs, and incubation packages • Define standardized templates, dashboards, and reporting that improve transparency and execution speed. Drive Cross-Functional Execution • Coordinate execution across Product Management, Engineering, Research, Industrial Design, Software (UX/UI), Ecosystem & Partner Development, and Technical Applications Engineering teams. • Lead the operating cadence including sprint reviews, concept reviews, portfolio syncs, and leadership updates. • Ensure alignment across teams on scope, timelines, ownership, and success criteria. Enable Governance and Incubation Readiness • Partner with Product Innovation leadership to prepare incubation-ready concept packages, including value propositions, evidence summaries, and readiness assessments. • Maintain governance frameworks that ensure concepts progress based on clear evidence and decision criteria. • Ensure smooth transitions from Innovation into Product, Engineering, and GTM teams. Support Executive Decision Making • Create clear, executive-ready views of portfolio health, progress, and decision points. • Prepare materials for leadership reviews and concept approval discussions. • Frame tradeoffs and options that enable informed strategic decisions.