Principal Technical Program Manager

About this role

Principal Technical Program Manager

Scotts Valley, CA 95066

Overview

Salary Range

$150,000.00 - $175,000.00 Salary

Description

Principal, Technical Program Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager to lead complex hardware programs from concept through production and sustaining support. This role serves as the central point of coordination across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, local production, and international contract manufacturers.

The Principal, Technical Program Manager translates organizational priorities into coordinated, cross-functional program plans that drive measurable business outcomes and predictable execution. This individual proactively identifies risks, dependencies, and constraints, drives alignment across teams, and resolves cross-functional challenges.

The successful candidate is an exceptional communicator who can create clarity, align teams, influence stakeholders without direct authority, resolve issues, and deliver results. Experience within the consumer electronics, semiconductor, industrial electronics, embedded systems, or other complex hardware industries is preferred.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Drive hardware development programs from requirements and design through prototype builds, qualification, production release, ramp, and sustaining support.
• Develop and maintain integrated program schedules, milestones, dependencies, budgets, risks, resource requirements, and recovery plans.
• Translate business and product priorities into executable program plans with clear objectives, ownership, milestones, and deliverables.
• Drive cross-functional execution across Hardware, Firmware, Mechanical Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Service teams.
• Coordinate product transfers, production readiness, and manufacturing ramp activities with local manufacturing operations and international contract manufacturers (CMs).
• Identify technical, operational, and schedule risks early; establish owners and due dates; and escalate issues with clear recommendations when needed.
• Manage dependencies across teams and projects to ensure priorities and deliverables remain aligned.
• Influence stakeholders and leadership without direct authority to resolve competing priorities and cross-functional challenges.
• Provide clear, concise, and accurate program updates to technical teams, executives, customers, and manufacturing partners.
• Communicate program tradeoffs, risks, dependencies, and impacts to support timely and informed decision-making.
• Develop and improve repeatable processes, tools, metrics, reporting, and operating rhythms that increase accountability and program predictability.
• Drive continuous improvement in how technical programs are planned, communicated, and executed across the organization.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

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Qualifications

Qualifications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority, build trust, resolve conflict, and create alignment across cross-functional teams.
• Strong program planning, organization, problem-solving, judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Strong understanding of program execution, dependency management, risk mitigation, change management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Ability to effectively communicate program status, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations to senior and executive leadership.
• Strong attention to detail and demonstrated ability to follow through on commitments.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex programs in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to operate effectively through ambiguity, organizational change, and competing priorities.
• Proficiency with program and project management tools, reporting methods, metrics, and methodologies.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 10–15+ years of experience in program management, project leadership, hardware product development, or a related technical environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional hardware or technical programs through the product lifecycle.
• Experience coordinating across Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP certification or equivalent program management training.
• Experience with electronic, embedded, industrial, semiconductor, networking, consumer electronics, or other complex hardware products.
• Experience working with local manufacturing operations and international contract manufacturers.
• Experience with regulatory, environmental, reliability, compliance, or safety qualification testing.
• Experience managing programs involving hardware, firmware, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain dependencies.

Key Success Factors

Communication: Communicates with exceptional clarity, tailors information to the audience, accurately documents decisions, and establishes clear expectations around priorities, risks, ownership, and next steps.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Builds alignment, encourages constructive collaboration, resolves issues, and brings diverse teams and partners together toward shared objectives.

Execution and Accountability: Maintains clear ownership and predictable execution, identifies risks and dependencies early, and ensures teams remain aligned on program priorities and deliverables.