The role
From Applied Materials's own posting.
Who We Are
Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.
What We Offer
Salary:
$106,000.00 - $146,000.00
Location:
Santa Clara,CA
You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.
At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits .
We are seeking a highly experienced and well-rounded Security Specialist to manage security projects, coordinate budget planning, prepare leadership presentations, and support security-related events across Applied Materials locations throughout California.
Applied Materials is growing at a pace that is driving significant increases in headcount and critical facilities. As a result, we expect over the next five years to have the most exciting and active R&D and manufacturing infrastructure pipeline in our history. The Global Security Operations (GSO) team is responsible for strategic development, risk oversight, and execution of security operations across all company locations. Supporting California Security Operations, this role will translate security priorities into coordinated project plans, financial forecasts, leadership materials, and organized stakeholder engagements statewide.
The Security Specialist is responsible for managing cross-functional security projects across California, including HQ and the EPIC Center. The role defines project scope, develops schedules, coordinates resources, tracks budgets and dependencies, and drives deliverables through completion and handoff to designated operational owners. Additional responsibilities include annual budget planning, spending forecasts, executive slide deck preparation, project governance, and coordination of security meetings, workshops, and events. This is a project-focused role and does not include daily security operations, guard force supervision, screening equipment operation, incident response, or investigations.
This is a new position based in the greater Sunnyvale/Santa Clara area. You will partner with local business unit leaders, Real Estate, Facilities, EHS, BCP, IT, Finance, Legal, Employee Relations, Procurement, vendors, and other stakeholders to align project requirements, funding needs, timelines, and deliverables. The role provides structured planning, financial analysis, presentation development, and event coordination to support California Security Operations leadership and statewide security initiatives.
This position reports to the Director, California Security Operations and is based in Santa Clara, CA. The role does not require travel.
Key Responsibilities
California-wide Security Operations Project Management
Manage Security Operations projects across California sites, from requirements gathering and planning through implementation, closeout, and transition to ongoing operations.
Develop project scopes, work plans, schedules, milestones, and responsibility assignments in partnership with site security leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Coordinate security technology implementation, facility readiness projects, process improvement initiatives, and cross-site standardization efforts, with operational execution retained by designated site teams.
Maintain project trackers, action logs, risk and issue registers, and dependency maps; escalate barriers and decisions to California Security Operations leadership.
Coordinate vendors, Procurement, Finance, Real Estate, Facilities, IT, EHS, and business partners to align deliverables, resources, implementation schedules, and operational requirements.
Track project costs against approved budgets, validate vendor deliverables, and coordinate scope or schedule changes through appropriate approvals.
Provide leadership with concise project status reports covering milestones, costs, risks, decisions, and next steps across the California project portfolio.
Coordinate readiness reviews, acceptance criteria, documentation, training, and operational handoffs; capture lessons learned and promote consistent practices across California sites.
Maintain an integrated California security project roadmap; support prioritization based on business needs, funding, resource availability, and dependencies, and facilitate documented scope and schedule change control.
Project Governance & Documentation
Develop and maintain project charters, requirements documents, responsibility matrices, implementation plans, and closeout records.
Develop dashboards and reporting tools to track milestones, deliverable completion, budget health, open risks, and stakeholder actions across the project portfolio.
Maintain version-controlled project records, decision logs, approval documentation, and consistent templates; track deliverable acceptance and lessons learned.
Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination
Coordinate project vendors and internal stakeholders on statements of work, proposals, deliverables, implementation dependencies, and acceptance criteria.
Facilitate project reviews, confirm milestone commitments, document decisions, and follow up on vendor and stakeholder actions.
Communicate professionally and effectively with client leadership, site management, and cross-functional partners.
Represent security project priorities in cross-functional planning forums and coordinate dependencies with facilities, research, technology, and business teams.
Presentations & Slide Deck Preparation
Prepare executive-ready PowerPoint slide decks for project reviews, budget proposals, quarterly business reviews, and California Security Operations leadership updates.
Translate project, financial, and security information into concise narratives, roadmaps, charts, dashboards, and clearly framed leadership decisions.
Gather stakeholder inputs, validate source data and financial figures, and maintain consistent messaging, formatting, and version control across presentation materials.
Develop executive summaries, briefing notes, talking points, and pre-read materials; coordinate reviews and incorporate leadership feedback before distribution.
Event, Workshop & Meeting Coordination
Plan and coordinate security workshops, leadership meetings, project kickoffs, stakeholder briefings, and security awareness events supporting California initiatives.
Develop event plans, agendas, schedules, invitations, attendee communications, and run-of-show documents; coordinate venues, audiovisual needs, materials, and vendor logistics.
Track event budgets and deadlines, coordinate presenters and rehearsals, and partner with designated site teams on visitor and access arrangements without assuming operational security duties.
Capture meeting decisions, action owners, and due dates; distribute follow-up materials, gather event feedback, and track commitments through completion.
Skills, Knowledge, Experience & Education
The ideal candidate will have the following:
5+ years of experience in security project management, program coordination, or related project delivery, preferably in a laboratory, R&D, high-security, or technology environment.
Experience developing budgets, cost estimates, spe