Director of Program Management

CScale is a startup backed by Sutter Hill Ventures and Atreides Capital - headquartered in Palo Alto, CA.  Our executive team has a demonstrated track record of building and scaling category-defining semiconductor and infrastructure businesses at companies like Broadcom, Lumentum, Tesla, Apple, Samsung, Intel, and VMware.

CScale is developing next-generation optical semiconductor solutions for the AI infrastructure market, focused on enabling true “scale-up” architectures.  Our mission is to replace traditional copper interconnects with advanced fiber-optic technologies that overcome the limitations of existing optics solutions and architectures.

Duties, Deliverables, and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for cross functional program execution, with broad responsibility for execution excellence across CScale
• Own the cross-functional execution plan from concept through production (architecture, design, verification, tapeout, bring-up, validation, customer sampling, qualification, release to manufacturing)
• Build the integrated program plan across design (multiple silicon die, hardware, software), fab, packaging, QA, test, and qualification
• Set milestones, phase gates, and the critical path with engineering and operations leads, and own the gate reviews
• Manage program scope, schedule, budget, and resource plans, and drive decisions when any of them change
• Run the program cadence across global sites and hold teams to their commitments
• Identify risks early, drive mitigations, and escalate issues with options and a recommendation
• Define program health indicators and build the executive dashboards leadership uses to run the business
• Own sample readiness and release-to-manufacturing criteria with engineering and operations
• Establish program management processes and tools as CScale moves into production

Expertise, Knowledge, and Skills

• Strong technical program management skills (i.e. build an integrated schedule, own the critical path, drive issues to closure)
• Working knowledge of the silicon development flow, from design and verification through tapeout, post-silicon validation, and qualification
• Technical depth to engage engineers on pre- and post-silicon problems and tradeoffs
• Ability to lead matrixed teams through influence and make sound decisions with incomplete information
• Clear communication with engineers and executives, and composure under pressure
• Proficiency with scheduling and tracking tools (e.g. MS Project, Jira, sharepoint, Notion)
• Bonus: Familiarity with reliability qualification and production ramp

Experience, Background, and Accomplishments

• 12+ years in semiconductor or hardware product development, including 7+ years leading technical programs and earlier hands-on engineering experience
• Driven multiple silicon programs from concept through release to manufacturing
• Experience leading programs across global teams
• Startup or first-generation product experience
• B.Sc.+ in EE, Physics, or a related field
• Bonus: experience with optical engine or silicon photonics programs, or high-speed connectivity products