Program Manager, Circular Design and Critical Materials

About the Job

As the Program Manager, Circular Design and Critical Materials, you will act as a technical expert who develops and implements strategies to incorporate circular economy principles into data center hardware and system design. This role is a pivotal part of the Circularity Strategy and Innovation department, focusing on maximized material usage through extending product lifespan and increasing the use of circular materials to contribute directly to Google’s carbon reduction goals.

In this role, you will direct Research and Development with strategic planning, demanding an AI-first skillset and a deep background in eco-design, advanced materials, metals, recycling and recovery, and critical materials. You will advocate the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle with a specific focus on designing for remanufacture collaborating with product engineers, material scientists, reliability and manufacturing engineering to ensure sustainability is integrated at every stage of the product life cycle.

Responsibilities

• Partner with design engineers of data center equipment and components to develop new products that are easy to disassemble, repair, and remanufacture.
• Develop strategies to extend hardware lifespan, reducing the need for new production and lowering associated carbon emissions.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities to incorporate recycled materials into new Google equipment while maintaining quality and performance standards.
• Collaborate with material scientists to select sustainable, recyclable materials, prioritizing those supporting the lowest life-cycle carbon footprints and minimizing hazardous substances.
• Investigate emerging technologies and Research and Development (R&D) trends in material science to identify opportunities for circular innovation.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
• 5 years of experience in program or project management.
• Experience with server/data center hardware architecture and applying eco-design principles (e.g., design for disassembly or recycling) to electronic systems.
• Experience working with metals, recycling processes, and critical materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5 years of experience managing cross-functional or cross-team projects.
• Experience in applying and scaling Research and Development (R&D) materials and emerging recycling technologies.
• Experience working in a data center, industrial environment, or complex supply chain organization.
• Experience with process mapping and optimization techniques to improve hardware recovery workflows.
• Experience in project management with a focus on large-scale sustainability or carbon reduction initiatives, guiding programs from conceptual design and fact-finding through to high-volume production.
• Knowledge of life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies and tools.

Key skills/competency

• Circular Economy
• Eco-Design
• Data Center Hardware
• Sustainability Strategy
• Program Management
• Material Science
• Recycling Processes
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Supply Chain Optimization
• R&D Management