Sr Principal Program Manager

Job Title

Sr Principal Program Manager

Role Summary

Lead semiconductor IP and foundry programs from initiation through delivery, driving planning, execution, governance, risk management, and stakeholder alignment across multiple engineering disciplines.

Work with cross-functional teams (Architecture, Design, Verification, Physical Design, Characterization, FuSa, Product Engineering, Operations) to ensure roadmap commitments and customer expectations are met.

Experience Level

Senior — requires substantial experience; the posting specifies 10+ years of program/project management experience in semiconductor or EDA industries.

Responsibilities

Manage and deliver complex semiconductor IP and foundry programs with clear governance, communication, and measurable outcomes.

• Lead end-to-end execution of semiconductor IP and foundry programs.
• Develop and maintain integrated program schedules and milestone plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities across Architecture, Design, Verification, Physical Design, Characterization, FuSa, Product Engineering, and Operations.
• Identify and manage program risks, issues, dependencies, and mitigation plans.
• Facilitate executive reviews, customer reviews, and phase-gate checkpoints.
• Track delivery commitments, resource constraints, and critical-path activities.
• Drive governance processes, metrics reporting, and status communication.
• Partner with engineering and business stakeholders to resolve execution challenges.
• Ensure alignment between roadmap commitments, customer expectations, and execution plans.
• Champion process improvements and drive KPIs for operations teams.

Requirements

Core qualifications and skills required for success in the role.

Must-have:

• 10+ years of program/project management experience in the semiconductor or EDA industries.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor IP development lifecycle and design flows.
• Experience managing cross-functional engineering teams and coordinating across multiple disciplines.
• Proven ability to manage schedules, risks, dependencies, and stakeholder communications.
• Excellent presentation, customer-facing, and executive communication skills.
• Demonstrated ownership, accountability, and ability to influence without direct authority.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with foundry programs (TSMC, Samsung, Intel, GF) and familiarity with memory, logic, GPIO, mixed-signal, or platform IP development.
• Experience with Jira, Power BI, advanced Excel, and dashboarding.
• PMP, PgMP, or Agile certifications.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electronics, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Preferred certifications include PMP, PgMP, or Agile-related certifications. (Degrees and certifications are explicitly listed in the original posting.)

About the Company

Company: Cadence Design Systems

Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA

Cadence Design Systems is a global electronic design automation company that provides software, hardware, and intellectual property for designing advanced semiconductor chips. With over 25 years in the industry, Cadence is known for its innovative technology solutions and has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The company is dedicated to solving complex technical challenges in order to enable customers to create revolutionary products and experiences.