Software Program Manager, Software Engineering Operations

Cornelis Networks, Inc.•Boston, MA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Cornelis Networks is seeking an experienced Software Program Manager to drive execution across key software initiatives in a fast-paced, customer-focused silicon and networking startup. This role requires strong cross-functional leadership, 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.

Requirements

4 + years of experience in software project or program management.
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).

Nice To Haves

Software Engineering background.
Experience in High-Performance Computing (HPC) and/or Artificial Intelligence (AI) environments.

Responsibilities

Drive Software Program 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 Cross-Functional Software Program Alignment: Partner with teams across the software delivery lifecycle, including development, test, DevOps, and field organizations. Drive alignment on priorities, dependencies, risks, release readiness, and customer commitments to ensure coordinated execution across programs.
Support Release Planning and Readiness: Partner with engineering and product teams to plan software releases, track release scope, coordinate readiness reviews, manage defect 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 ownership remains clear.