Senior Staff Program Manager – Academic & Research Partnerships

Job Title

Senior Staff Program Manager – Academic & Research Partnerships

Role Summary

Lead Synopsys' academic and research partnership efforts across Europe within the Synopsys Academic & Research Alliances (SARA) team. Drive strategic collaborations between universities, research institutes, foundries, and internal business units to align research, education, and workforce development with Synopsys' technology roadmap.

Experience Level

Senior-level. No explicit years-of-experience guidance provided in the posting.

Responsibilities

The role manages multi-stakeholder research and workforce programmes, coordinates EU-funded initiatives, and ensures technical and commercial alignment.

• Build and manage strategic research partnerships with European universities, research institutes, and RTOs.
• Engage with principal investigators and research leaders on advanced-node design, chiplets, heterogeneous integration, photonics, and packaging.
• Structure and support execution of research agreements, including coordination on IP, licensing, and compliance.
• Identify and track emerging research areas and university spin-outs for early engagement and ecosystem opportunities.
• Lead and coordinate workforce development initiatives and academic programmes in collaboration with foundries and ecosystem partners.
• Support hands-on education initiatives covering advanced-node design, 3D ICs, chiplets, and advanced packaging.
• Align regional workforce and research efforts with Synopsys' global programme frameworks to ensure scalability and repeatability.
• Contribute to Synopsys' engagement with EU Chips Act programmes and related consortia and pilot lines.
• Act as a connector between academic partnerships, EU programmes, foundry collaborations, and internal Synopsys teams.
• Manage programme timelines, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional alignment to deliver measurable outcomes.

Requirements

Core must-have skills and experience followed by additional preferred qualifications.

Must-have:

• Extensive experience in the semiconductor or EDA ecosystem.
• Proven experience managing academic research partnerships and workforce development programmes in Europe.
• Strong understanding of the European academic, research, and public funding landscape.
• Technical foundation in VLSI, EDA tools, or advanced-node technologies sufficient to engage with research teams and engineers.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate legal, IP, and compliance issues across multi-party agreements.
• Strong programme management skills with a track record delivering multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills for representation in academic, government, and industry forums.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience coordinating programmes with foundries (e.g., TSMC) and ecosystem partners.
• Familiarity with EU Chips Act initiatives and related programme structures.

Education Requirements

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field (as stated in the posting).

About the Company

Company: Synopsys

Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA

Synopsys is a leading company in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP solutions. It provides tools and services for designing and verifying complex semiconductor devices and systems. The company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, helping engineers innovate and deliver higher-quality products faster. Synopsys is committed to advancing technology standards and offers a range of software and hardware solutions to its clients globally.