Manager, Chip Software - CA, Santa Clara, United States
$184,000 - $356,500 USD yearly
Originally posted 10 August 2026 by the employer.
About the role
This role involves leading and implementing all aspects of software planning and completion for SOC chips, defining, building, and executing a chip through its entire silicon life cycle.
What you'll do
- Lead and implement all aspects of software planning and completion for SOC chips, coordinating the software POR, pre-silicon development, pre-silicon software validation, bring-up, and productization.
- Develop and expand comprehensive workflows for SOC partner validation programs, handling engagement, qualification, onboarding, test execution, and result publication.
- Drive the simulation and emulation POR, planning, and schedule in collaboration with Simulation and Emulation teams.
- Ensure teams provide all needed collaterals for the Software Product Life Cycle development process and develop software for compliance to various Safety standards when applicable.
- Schedule and lead status meetings, communicating progress within and across all software teams across multiple geographic locations.
- Act as the primary interface to Auto, Data Center, Embedded, and Mobile software groups for all chips related issues and communication.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science/ Electrical / Electronic engineering or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 10+ overall years of proven experience in related areas with at least 4+ years of management experience.
- Deep understanding of the software development life cycle.
- Proven Software Technical project management background in a matrix organization.
- Strong understanding of embedded systems architecture: CPU, memory, buses and interconnects, Operating Systems, and device drivers.
- Experience managing programs that span external partner engagement and internal engineering delivery simultaneously, from onboarding through joint go-to-market.
Skills: chip software, silicon life cycle, SOC chips, pre-silicon validation, embedded systems architecture
This role has been open 67 days — well above the 46-day median for Technical Program Management roles.
Technical Program Management · SOC Architecture
|
Open roles in category
175
|
Median days open
46 d
|
Median salary
$220k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | NVIDIA | All employers we track in this specialty (175 roles · 49 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 20 | 175 |
| Median days open | 34 d | 46 d (−12 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $220k |
Skills observed across this category: chip software, silicon life cycle, SOC chips, pre-silicon validation, embedded systems architecture
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 25 open roles · median 46 d
- NVIDIA (this employer) · 20 open roles · median 34 d
- AMD · 19 open roles · median 25 d
- Synopsys · 14 open roles · median 46 d
- Arm Holdings · 10 open roles · median 83 d
- Astera Labs · 6 open roles · median 67 d
How we counted: 175 open Technical Program Management (SOC Architecture) roles from 49 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 17 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there. Figures refresh nightly.