Robin Burns

2020 STEP Ahead Honoree

Senior Technical Program Manager
Intel Corporation

I love to see my projects become something tangible. Manufacturing lets you make it real. Once you have a process to manufacture, you can optimize and modify processes to make them faster, improve quality and reduce costs. It is amazing, the world truly revolves around manufacturing!

Robin is a manufacturing engineering expert who is highly specialized in circuit board assembly and manufacturing processes. In addition to her 15 years of experience designing circuit board products for medical devices, motherboards and gaming machines, Robin serves as a program management expert with a PMP certification and as a leader within the Oregon Women at Intel Network (WIN).

Robin regularly takes opportunities to share her knowledge with others. As part of Intel Corporation’s Career Empowerment Program (CEP), she teaches a training course that has impacted more than 220 employees by helping them examine their careers and reach their fullest potential. Typically mentoring three to four employees at any given time, Robin is dedicated to the development of young women and professionals throughout Intel.  In fact, she was recognized in 2018 as runner-up “Mentor of the Year” for her contributions to inclusion and networking. Through her role as a mentor and other efforts, Robin routinely shares her guidance and expertise to help shape the next generation of female engineers and program managers.  Robin is a trainer for the Intel Future Skills Academy program that supports requests from schools, community groups and other training programs with STEM activities including classroom visits, summer camps, clubs and more.

As a recognized leader in diversity, Robin is committed to fostering inclusion in the workplace and beyond. For example, after attending an Advancing Women in Leadership industry event in 2018, she made it a priority to bring the event to Intel in 2019. This was a huge success, bringing local companies together and impacting over 150 leaders in the community.

In addition, Robin was a founding board member for Teens and Oregon Mustangs, LLC, where she developed a scholarship award program. In her seven years with the organization, they helped more than 175 horses find their forever homes in the private sector, influenced over 120 youth trainers and awarded over $7,000 in scholarships. Robin also volunteers with Veterans of Foreign Wars for Operation Jingle Bell, helping local veterans and families in need have a brighter holiday season.

In her time away from work, she enjoys her hobby farm, gardening and raising poultry, along with riding her Mustang horses that she adopted and trained from the Bureau of Land Management.  She also enjoys the outdoors and especially observing wildlife.  One of her favorite places on earth is Yellowstone National Park.