Project/Program Design Director

Job Title

Project/Program Design Director

Role Summary

Establish and lead the Program Management Office (PMO) for a large automotive semiconductor power management group. Drive portfolio governance, program execution, functional safety integration, and cross-functional alignment across design, validation, and production ramps.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Requires 15+ years of program and portfolio management experience in semiconductor, automotive electronics, or related complex product development environments.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Define and operate the PMO: governance, processes, tools, team composition to support ~15–25 concurrent programs.
• Implement portfolio governance: quarterly reviews, go/no-go frameworks, resource allocation, and visibility into risks and dependencies.
• Drive program execution: establish milestones, stage-gate processes, dashboards, and regular steering reviews to track schedule, budget, scope, and quality.
• Manage program estimating, budgeting, and resource optimization; escalate critical constraints to leadership.
• Embed functional safety governance (ISO 26262, SOTIF) into stage-gates and track ASIL, safety cases, FMEA/FTA completion.
• Identify, quantify, and mitigate program and compliance risks; maintain risk dashboards and facilitate cross-functional issue resolution.
• Lead NPI activities and production ramps to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of design-ins and volume production.
• Facilitate alignment across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Supply Chain, and Customer teams; serve as central hub for program status.
• Define KPIs and reporting cadence; drive continuous improvement of PMO processes and tools.

Requirements

Must-have and preferred qualifications:

• Must-have: 15+ years of program/portfolio management experience in semiconductor or automotive electronics; proven PMO leadership for large portfolios (10+ concurrent programs).
• Must-have: Deep knowledge of automotive product development, NPI, design-in cycles, supplier management, and volume production ramps.
• Must-have: Demonstrated ability to implement stage-gate processes, project governance, and resource planning aligned with industry best practices.
• Must-have: Strong functional safety expertise and experience applying ISO 26262, SOTIF, and related AEC standards in program execution and compliance tracking.
• Must-have: Track record of driving on-time, on-budget delivery and building accountability across program teams.
• Must-have: Strong stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills across cross-functional leadership without direct authority.
• Must-have: Experience with program management tools and platforms (for example Microsoft Project, Jira, SAP) and familiarity with PM methodologies.
• Nice-to-have: PMP or PRINCE2 certification and experience scaling PMO from early-stage to mature organization; direct experience with power management product development.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with software-defined vehicle architectures, financial/P&L oversight, quality systems (ISO 9001, IATF), advanced analytics, and safety-case deliverables.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or a related field is expected; an advanced degree is preferred. PMP or equivalent program management certification is preferred. Equivalent professional experience may be acceptable.

About the Company

Company: Renesas

Headquarters: Hitachinaka, Japan

Renesas is a global leader in embedded semiconductor solutions, providing high-quality products across automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT sectors. With over 22,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the company focuses on scalable solutions that enhance user experience and drive innovation while committed to sustainability and energy efficiency.