Technical Program Manager – Software/Release, Principal

Technical Program Manager – Software/Release, Principal At d-Matrix, we are focused on unleashing the potential of generative AI to power the transformation of technology. We are at the forefront of software and hardware innovation, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Our culture is one of respect and collaboration. We value humility and believe in direct communication. Our team is inclusive, and our differing perspectives allow for better solutions. We are seeking individuals passionate about tackling challenges and are driven by execution.  Ready to come find your playground? Together, we can help shape the endless possibilities of AI. Location: Hybrid, working onsite at our Santa Clara, Ca headquarters 3-5 days per week. The Role: Technical Program Manager – Software/Release, Principal We are seeking a Principal Technical Program Manager to drive engineering excellence and lead the release management function across the global software organization. This role will focus on creating lightweight, scalable processes that enable predictable project delivery in a high-growth startup environment. You will act as the operational bridge between Engineering, Product, QA, and IT, translating company objectives into actionable software programs and driving the end-to-end release lifecycle. The ideal candidate should be comfortable working in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment and is passionate about delivering high-quality software on time. What you will do: Release Management & Cross-Functional Coordination - Drive End-to-End Release Cycles: Own the software release lifecycle from planning through deployment. Coordinate closely with Engineering, Product - Management, QA, and IT/DevOps to ensure all workstreams are aligned on scope, dependencies, and timelines. - Release Quality & Governance: Establish and enforce release criteria and quality gates. Partner with QA to ensure that testing coverage is sufficient and that critical bugs are resolved prior to release, preventing regressions in the field. - Stakeholder Management: Act as the central point of contact for releases, clearly communicating release contents, status, risks, and "go/no-go" decisions to stakeholders ranging from technical leads to executive leadership. - Infrastructure & Tooling Alignment: Collaborate with IT and DevOps teams to ensure the CI/CD pipelines and build infrastructure to support high-velocity, reliable releases. Program Execution & Strategy - Implement agile practices suited to a fast-paced, scaling startup, ensuring predictable cadence. - Define metrics, dashboards, and reporting to track progress, program health, and release velocity. - Develop playbooks and best practices for program and release management across the organization. - Translate product and business goals into executable engineering programs. - Identify and mitigate risks to delivery schedules and quality, proactively managing dependencies across hardware, software, and partner teams. What you will bring: Minimum: - 10+ years of Technical Program Management experience in software development. - Release Management Expertise: Proven experience managing complex software releases involving multiple stakeholders (Eng, Product, QA, IT) and establishing release governance processes. · Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills; ability to influence without authority. · Educational background in computer science, electrical engineering, physics, or a related field. - Experience in companies with complex software/hardware integration. - Proven track record managing distributed, multi-region engineering teams. - Strong understanding of software lifecycle (SDLC), CI/CD pipelines, and agile methodologies. - Proficiency with Jira, Smartsheet, Confluence, and project toolchain integration. - Familiarity with AI/ML, compiler/runtime, or kernel development. Preferred: - Prior experience in AI/ML infrastructure, semiconductor, or system sof ... (truncated, view full listing at source)