NTU PMBA 2023
Architecting Scale:
From RF Precision to
Operational Excellence
I apply the same rigor that optimizes Signal-to-Noise Ratio in RF systems to maximize Decision-to-Noise Ratio in operations. Leading a 100-member team through standardized workflows, embedded KPIs, and cross-functional alignment—ready to drive transformation at the Director level.
Currently Senior Staff Engineer/Manager at Qualcomm Taiwan. Open to Director of Operations opportunities in technology-driven organizations.
The Bridge Between Silicon and Strategy
In RF engineering, everything hinges on Signal-to-Noise Ratio. A fraction of a decibel can mean the difference between a product that ships and one that fails certification. I spent over a decade mastering that precision at Qualcomm—from board-level design to SoC bring-up, from compliance validation to customer debug.
Then I recognized a parallel truth: organizational performance is also a signal-to-noise problem. The signal is strategic clarity—what actually drives value. The noise is misalignment, redundant processes, and decision paralysis. My transition to operations leadership was not a career pivot; it was an expansion of the same fundamental discipline.
Today, I lead with the same precision that characterized my RF work. When a contract manufacturer claims a "technical limitation" is causing delays, I can interrogate their data with the fluency of someone who has debugged yield issues firsthand. When engineering teams request budget overruns for "complexity," I understand whether that complexity is genuine or organizational dysfunction. This technical credibility is not a legacy of my past—it is an operational advantage for my future.
I am seeking a Director of Operations role where this dual fluency—technical depth and strategic breadth—can drive measurable transformation. Not managing operations. Architecting them.
100
Team Members
Full engineering organization
11
Direct Reports
Senior technical leadership
14+
Years at Qualcomm
Institutional depth
NTU
PMBA 2023
Strategic capability
Professional Credentials
A foundation built on technical excellence, refined through business education, proven through leadership at scale.
Professional MBA
National Taiwan University
2021 - 2023
Taiwan's premier business program, recognized as the gateway to C-suite leadership. Strengthened strategic planning, financial analysis, and cross-functional decision-making capabilities while maintaining full-time operations leadership at Qualcomm.
14+ Years Technical Leadership
Qualcomm
2011 - Present
From board-level RF design to leading a 100-member engineering organization. Progressed through Senior Engineer → Staff Engineer → Staff Engineer/Manager → Senior Staff Engineer/Manager. Full hardware lifecycle ownership across multiple SoC product lines.
M.S. Electrical Engineering
Chung Hua University
2003 - 2005
Graduate-level specialization in hardware systems and RF design. Foundation for a career that would span Wi-Fi board design, signal integrity optimization, and chipset commercialization.
The Evolution
From solving hardware problems to solving organizational problems—a deliberate progression toward operational leadership.
Senior Hardware Engineer
Gemtek Technologies
Wi-Fi board design based on chip vendor specifications. FCC compliance management. BOM cost optimization. On-site customer support and yield improvement.
Learned that technical excellence alone does not ship products. Customer relationships, supplier negotiations, and manufacturing realities are equally critical. First exposure to the full product lifecycle.
Senior Engineer (HWS)
Qualcomm
Board-level design with SOC/System/RFA/SW inputs. Delivered 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac boards. Signal Integrity simulation, ESD debugging, compliance validation.
Mastered the art of cross-team coordination. Hardware cannot succeed without software alignment, system architecture decisions, and RF tuning collaboration. Technical excellence is necessary but insufficient.
Staff Engineer (HWS)
Qualcomm
Lead reference board designs from concept to mass production. PRD/BOM/cost/performance reviews. HW-SW bring-up, RF testing, regulatory verification. ETSI energy detection validation.
Transitioned from individual contributor to technical lead. Began owning end-to-end delivery rather than isolated tasks. Developed the instinct for anticipating cross-functional dependencies.
Staff Engineer/Manager (OPS)
Qualcomm
Managed 8-engineer team on BRF validation, debug, and daily operations. Program schedules, budgets, cross-departmental workflow optimization. MES system improvement.
First formal management role. Discovered that operational excellence requires systems thinking—not just managing people, but redesigning workflows, implementing process frameworks, and mentoring junior engineers through complexity.
This was the pivot point. The skills that made me a strong engineer—precision, analytical rigor, systematic debugging—translated directly to operational problem-solving. The domain changed; the discipline remained.
Senior Staff Engineer/Manager (OPS)
Qualcomm
Lead 11-engineer team in BRF validation, debugging, prototype development. Full hardware lifecycle execution with HW/SW/SoC teams and CMs. Plan of Record (POR) definition across multiple product lines.
Scaled from 8 to 100-member organization (11 direct reports). Transformed fragmented workflows into standardized operations. Embedded KPIs around cost, quality, and delivery. Institutionalized risk mitigation planning. Regular executive presentations to BU leadership.
At this scale, leadership is no longer about solving problems—it's about building systems that prevent problems. Standardization is not bureaucracy; it is the foundation of scalable excellence.
NTU Professional MBA
National Taiwan University
Completed Taiwan's most rigorous part-time MBA program while leading full-time operations at Qualcomm. Strategic management, financial planning, organizational behavior, marketing strategy.
The PMBA was not an escape from technical work—it was an amplification. Gained frameworks for ROI analysis, change management, and stakeholder alignment. Can now articulate operational improvements in the language of business value.
The PMBA confirmed what operations work had suggested: technical credibility and strategic capability are not opposing forces. They are multiplicative. A leader who can debug both yield issues and organizational dysfunction is rare—and valuable.
Architecting Scale: The 100-Member Transformation
The Challenge
Inherited a fragmented engineering operation where each team operated with its own workflows, documentation standards, and quality metrics. Knowledge was siloed. Onboarding was inconsistent. Efficiency varied wildly between projects.
The Approach
Applied the same systematic methodology used in RF design—but to organizational architecture:
Baseline Measurement: Audited existing processes like debugging a noisy signal chain. Identified the “noise sources”—redundant approvals, inconsistent handoffs, undocumented tribal knowledge.
Standardization Design: Created unified workflow templates, documentation standards, and KPI frameworks. Not to impose rigidity, but to establish a common language and measurable expectations.
Training Infrastructure: Implemented structured onboarding and continuous development programs. Reduced reliance on individual heroics; built institutional capability.
Feedback Loops: Established regular retrospectives and metric reviews. Operational excellence is not a destination—it is a discipline of continuous calibration.
The Results
Employee Satisfaction
Significantly improved
Training program implementation
Turnover Rate
Reduced
Structured development paths
Process Consistency
Standardized
Unified workflows across teams
Economies of Scale
Achieved
Scalable operational frameworks
The lesson: scale is not just about adding people. It is about architecting systems that allow coordination without constant intervention. The same principle that governs multi-band RF coordination—clear protocols, defined interfaces, predictable behavior—applies to organizational design.
Operational Capabilities
Technical depth is not a legacy—it is an operational advantage. Here is why.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Technical Origin
Multi-band RF coordination requires precise interface definitions between antenna, front-end module, baseband, and software teams. Ambiguity causes interference—literally.
Operations Application
Leading 100-member organizations across R&D, PM, supply chain, and production. Establishing clear handoff protocols, escalation paths, and shared metrics. Ambiguity causes organizational interference too.
A Director of Operations who has personally debugged cross-team interface issues understands that "alignment" is not a soft skill—it is an engineering discipline.
Risk Mitigation & Planning
Technical Origin
ESD protection design requires anticipating failure modes before they occur. Signal integrity simulation predicts problems before boards are fabricated. Reactive debugging is expensive; proactive design is efficient.
Operations Application
Conducting systematic risk assessments with mitigation planning. Ensuring schedule and cost adherence through early identification of potential blockers. Building contingency into program plans.
Technical background enables recognition of real risks versus manufactured excuses. When engineering claims a delay is "inevitable," the question is: was it predictable? Was mitigation attempted?
Process Standardization
Technical Origin
RF testing requires repeatable methodologies. A measurement that cannot be reproduced is not a measurement—it is noise. Standardization enables comparison, optimization, and scale.
Operations Application
Transforming fragmented ad-hoc workflows into unified, documented, measurable processes. Embedding KPIs around cost, quality, and delivery. Enabling economies of scale.
Standardization is not bureaucracy—it is the infrastructure of scalable excellence. Without it, growth means linear cost increase. With it, growth means efficiency gains.
Technical Credibility
Technical Origin
12+ years of hands-on hardware work: board bring-up, signal integrity simulation, ESD debugging, compliance validation, RF tuning. Deep understanding of what is technically feasible and what is excuse.
Operations Application
Interrogating CM claims with engineering fluency. Validating cost overrun justifications. Distinguishing genuine technical complexity from organizational dysfunction.
Operations leaders without technical depth can be misled by suppliers, manipulated by engineering teams, and blindsided by "unexpected" technical issues. Technical credibility is not optional—it is a governance capability.
Team Development
Technical Origin
Mentored junior engineers through complex debug scenarios. Technical knowledge transfer is not about lecturing—it is about building systematic problem-solving capability.
Operations Application
Implementing structured training programs that improve satisfaction and reduce turnover. Building institutional capability rather than depending on individual heroics.
Sustainable operations require sustainable teams. A training investment that reduces turnover pays for itself through retained institutional knowledge and reduced recruitment costs.
Executive Communication
Technical Origin
Translating complex technical issues into actionable summaries for non-technical stakeholders. Signal-to-noise optimization applies to communication too.
Operations Application
Regular program status presentations to BU executives. Change management communication. Stakeholder alignment across competing priorities.
NTU PMBA refined the ability to speak the language of business value. Technical depth ensures accuracy; business acumen ensures relevance. The combination enables credible executive dialogue.
The SNR → DNR Framework
Applying RF engineering discipline to organizational decision-making
Signal Strength
Strategic Clarity
Noise Floor
Organizational Waste
Bandwidth
Team Capacity
Multi-band Coordination
Cross-functional Alignment
Compliance Testing
Governance & Audit
Ready to Discuss Operational Excellence?
I am seeking Director of Operations opportunities where technical credibility and strategic capability can drive measurable transformation.
Open to Director-level opportunities