Director / Sr Program Manager, AI Accelerator

Quadric has created an innovative general purpose neural processing unit (GPNPU) architecture. Quadric's co-optimized software and hardware is targeted to run neural network (NN) inference workloads in a wide variety of edge and endpoint devices, ranging from battery operated smart-sensor systems to high-performance automotive or autonomous vehicle systems. Unlike other NPUs or neural network accelerators in the industry today that can only accelerate a portion of a machine learning graph, the Quadric GPNPU executes both NN graph code and conventional C++ DSP and control code.

If making an impact and having a seat at the table is important to you, this is the opportunity for you. Join our small, rapidly-growing team at Quadric to develop supercomputer technology designed for the Edge. In this position, you will be a core member of our team, and will have an opportunity to grow in the company of expert technologists who also happen to be good people you'll want to spend time with.

What We Value:

Integrity, Humility, Happiness

What We Expect:

Initiative, Collaboration, Completion

Quadric is seeking an experienced and highly technical Program Manager to drive the successful planning and execution of our software and hardware product releases, focusing on our cutting-edge AI acceleration chips and embedded systems. This is a critical leadership role responsible for program management across the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept and customer requirements gathering to final release, delivery, and safety certification.

Key Responsibilities

Program and Project Management

• SW Release Management: Own and program manage all aspects of complex Software (SW) Releases, ensuring on-time delivery, quality, and scope adherence.
• Execution and Tracking: Drive and track progress across engineering and cross-functional teams, identifying bottlenecks, mitigating risks, and proactively driving execution to meet program milestones.
• Process Implementation: Champion and enforce effective program management methodologies and best practices across the organization.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Facilitate and drive alignment between engineering (SW, HW, Silicon), product management, sales, operations, and external partners.

Customer Engagement and Requirement Management

• Customer Advocacy: Act as the primary point of contact for technical program matters with key customers, translating their needs into actionable engineering tasks.
• Defect and Requirement Funnel: Manage the funneling of requirements and defects back to the engineering organization, ensuring clear prioritization and timely resolution.
• External Communication: Clearly communicate program status, risks, and dependencies to executive leadership, technical teams, and external stakeholders.

Safety Certification and Compliance

• Certification Drive: Lead the end-to-end program management for safety certification processes (e.g., ISO 26262, IEC for our products and associated tools, ensuring all necessary documentation and engineering rigor is met.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in a Program Management (PM) role, specifically focused on technical programs involving AI acceleration chips, embedded systems, software, and hardware.
• Education: Master's degree (MS) in Computer Science or a related technical field is required.
• Global Collaboration: Proven experience successfully working with and managing distributed teams and programs across multiple geographies and timezones.
• PM Tools Expertise: Deep expertise and proficiency with Program Management tools such as JIRA, GitHub Issues, and Quality Center (QC), including advanced reporting and workflow management.
• Domain Knowledge: Demonstrated ability to drive complex technical projects in the AI/ML and embedded processing domain.

Highly Desired Skills and Experience (Pluses)

• AI Compiler Knowledge: Good understanding and working knowledge of AI SW compilers (e.g., TVM, MLIR, LLVM, IREE).
• AI Frameworks and Kernels: Knowledge of AI kernel development and familiarity with popular deep learning frameworks like JAX, PyTorch, ONNX, and TensorFlow (TF).
• Professional Certification: Current Program Management (PM) certification (e.g., PMP, PgMP, CSM, SAFe) is a significant plus.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Work From Home
• Free Food & Snacks
• Stock Option Plan