Project/Program Design Director

Originally posted 4 November 2026 by the employer.

About the role

Establish and lead the Program Management Office (PMO) function for the automotive semiconductor power management group, driving portfolio governance, project execution, and cross-functional alignment. This role oversees a portfolio of 15-25 concurrent product development programs, manufacturing ramps, and operational initiatives with an emphasis on ISO 26262 and SOTIF functional safety governance.

What you'll do

• Define PMO structure, operating standards, and playbooks while building and leading a team of program managers supporting 15-25 concurrent programs across design, development, validation, and production.
• Implement portfolio-level governance, including quarterly portfolio reviews, go/no-go decision frameworks, and resource allocation across active programs.
• Drive program execution by establishing stage-gate processes, critical path tracking, milestone delivery, and real-time health dashboards covering schedule, budget, scope, and quality.
• Integrate functional safety governance into stage-gate reviews and design milestones, tracking ISO 26262 and SOTIF compliance, ASIL classifications, safety cases, and FMEA/FTA completion.
• Establish risk management processes to quantify, mitigate, and track technical, schedule, cost, and functional safety dependencies.
• Steer programs through NPI phases, customer design-ins, pilot production, and volume manufacturing ramps.

What you'll need

• 15+ years of program and portfolio management experience in semiconductor, automotive electronics, or related complex product development environments.
• Proven track record establishing and leading a PMO managing 10+ concurrent programs across design, development, validation, and production phases.
• Deep knowledge of automotive product development processes, NPI methodologies, design-in cycles, volume production ramps, and automotive supply chains.
• Strong command of stage-gate processes, project governance frameworks, and program management software such as Microsoft Project, JIRA, or SAP.
• Solid understanding of automotive functional safety standards (ISO 26262, SOTIF, AEC standards) and compliance tracking across program lifecycles.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Project Management, or a related field.

Nice to have

• Direct experience with power management, power distribution, or protection device product development in automotive applications.
• Experience managing programs with complex functional safety requirements, including FMEA/FTA development, ASIL classification, and safety case generation.
• Deep understanding of quality systems (ISO 9001, IATF standards) integrated into PMO processes.
• Familiarity with software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures.
• Experience with budget forecasting, portfolio-level P&L accountability, or advanced program management analytics platforms.
• Advanced degree or PMP certification.

Skills: PMO, ISO 26262, Functional Safety, Automotive, Stage-Gate

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