Software Program Manager, Software Engineering Operations

Cornelis Networks delivers high-performance scale-out networking solutions for AI and HPC datacenters. Our differentiated architecture integrates hardware, software, and system-level technologies to maximize the efficiency of GPU, CPU, and accelerator-based compute clusters at scale. Our solutions help customers push the boundaries of AI and HPC by eliminating bottlenecks and enabling massive-scale training, inference, simulation, and data-intensive workloads.

We are a fast-growing team of architects, engineers, and business professionals with a proven track record of building successful products and companies. As a global organization, our team spans multiple U.S. states and six countries, and we continue to expand with exceptional talent in onsite, hybrid, and remote roles.

We are seeking a Software Program Manager to drive execution across key software initiatives for our next-generation products, in a fast-paced, customer-focused silicon and networking startup building interconnect for high-performance computing (HPC) and AI datacenters. This role requires solid cross-functional coordination, disciplined execution, technical fluency, and the ability to create clarity across complex software, firmware, hardware, validation, product, and customer-facing workstreams.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, pragmatic, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. They can establish customized and effective processes, align engineering teams around priorities and milestones, identify risks early, and communicate clearly with technical teams, executives, and customer-facing stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive Software Project Execution: Lead planning and execution for key software initiatives, including project schedules, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and execution status. Partner closely with software engineering leaders to ensure work is prioritized, tracked, and delivered effectively.
• Drive Software Execution for Next-Generation Products: Own the software schedules, deliverables, and dependencies that support next-generation product milestones. Track commitments flowing in both directions between software, firmware, hardware, and platform teams, and surface scope, schedule, and integration tradeoffs early so they are resolved by the right decision makers.
• Drive Cross-Functional Software Project Alignment: Partner with teams across the software delivery lifecycle, including development, test, DevOps, firmware, hardware, platform and systems engineering, and field organizations. Drive alignment on priorities, dependencies, risks, release readiness, and customer commitments to ensure coordinated execution across projects.
• Support Release Planning and Readiness: Partner with engineering and product teams to plan software releases, track release scope, coordinate readiness reviews, manage defects and issue visibility, and support go/no-go decision-making.
• Provide Visibility and Operating Cadence: Establish and maintain clear dashboards, status reporting, risk registers, milestone tracking, and communication rhythms. Provide concise updates to engineering leadership and executives on progress, risks, dependencies, and tradeoffs.
• Coordinate Customer-Impacting Issues: Drive visibility and follow-through on customer-facing software issues, escalations, and commitments. Work with engineering, support, product, and field teams to track ownership, mitigation plans, and resolution status.
• Improve Engineering Operations: Identify opportunities to improve planning, Jira workflows, release tracking, status reporting, bug triage, dependency management, and overall engineering execution. Implement practical, lightweight processes that improve predictability without creating unnecessary overhead.
• Facilitate Prioritization and Tradeoff Discussions: Help teams evaluate competing priorities, resource constraints, schedule risks, and customer commitments. Ensure decision points are surfaced clearly and resolved with the right stakeholders.
• Maintain Project Artifacts and Decision Records: Ensure project plans, schedules, risks, decisions, dependencies, and execution status are documented and accessible. Partner with engineering and architecture teams to ensure technical documentation of ownership remains clear.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in software project management, including direct ownership of schedules, dependencies, and release execution.
• Experience supporting high-performance computing (HPC), AI/ML infrastructure, or other performance-critical systems environments.
• Experience coordinating software deliverables against hardware or platform schedules, including bring-up, integration, and system-level milestones.
• Strong knowledge of modern methodologies, AI workflows, and proficiency with tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Excellent communication and coordination skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Software Engineering background.
• Exposure to fabric, networking, or silicon product development, or AI training and inference infrastructure at scale.

Location: This is a remote position for employees residing within the United States.

We offer a competitive compensation package that includes equity, cash, and incentives, along with health and retirement benefits. Our dynamic, flexible work environment provides the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most influential names in the semiconductor industry.

At Cornelis Networks your base salary is only one component of your comprehensive total rewards package. Your base pay will be determined by factors such as your skills, qualifications, experience, and location relative to the hiring range for the position. Depending on your role, you may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, including an annual bonus or sales incentives.

In addition to your base pay, you’ll have access to a broad range of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as disability and life insurance, a dependent care flexible spending account, accidental injury insurance, and pet insurance. We also offer generous paid holidays, 401(k) with company match, and Open Time Off (OTO) for regular full-time exempt employees. Other paid time off benefits include sick time, bonding leave, and pregnancy disability leave.

Cornelis Networks does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. Cornelis Networks is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.