Senior Product Manager, Hardware (NPU IP)

Job Description

Job Description

Quadric has created an innovative general purpose neural processing unit (GPNPU) architecture. Quadric's co-optimized software and hardware is targeted to run neural network (NN) inference workloads in a wide variety of edge and endpoint devices, ranging from battery operated smart-sensor systems to high-performance automotive or autonomous vehicle systems. Unlike other NPUs or neural network accelerators in the industry today that can only accelerate a portion of a machine learning graph, the Quadric GPNPU executes both NN graph code and conventional C++ DSP and control code.

Quadric is seeking a Senior Principal Product Manager, Hardware to own the Chimera GPNPU IP roadmap across five tracks — Compute, Efficiency, Scalability, Safety, and Integration. The IP we freeze in 2026 ships in customer silicon in 2027 and 2028. This role sets the feature list for QC and QD, drives architecture freeze decisions, and partners directly with anchor SoC customers on what they need next. You'll work with HW engineering on execution and the CPO on strategy.

This role is based in Burlingame (on-site), with quarterly travel to Japan, U.S. East Coast, U.S. Midwest, and customer SoC teams worldwide.

Responsibilities

• PPA leadership. Own Quadric's TOPS/W and area-per-TOPS targets for QD. Identify where we're at risk of falling behind at iso-process node and force the tradeoff conversations that close the gap before silicon freezes.
• Hardware roadmap. Translate customer requirements, competitive pressure, and architectural constraints into a track-by-track feature list with explicit gating — what ships, what slips, what gets cut.
• Architecture freeze. Build the case for contested architecture decisions (e.g., dedicated requant unit vs. wider MAC array), run the tradeoff with the architects, and bring a recommendation to the PSC. The CPO drives the meeting; you own the input.
• Customer engagement. Named hardware product owner for anchor accounts. Present new features, ingest formal architecture feedback, and convert it into roadmap input.
• IP usability. Find what customers are silently working around — API wrappers, glue logic, custom RTL hooks, workaround scripts. When five customers have written the same hack, that hack is a QD feature.
• Hardware competitive intelligence. Track Synopsys NPX6, Arm Ethos-U85, Ceva NeuPro-M, VeriSilicon Vivante, and NVIDIA Jetson at the architectural level. Deliver two formal teardowns per year with normalized PPA comparisons. Translate competitor moves into specific feature requirements before gaps appear in customer evals.
• SoC integration positioning. Decide which integration knobs (AXI4/ACE-Lite, CoreSight, power-domain partitioning, performance counters) are exposed, which are productized, and how they're described in the integration guide.
• Functional safety positioning. Sequence FMEDA work, lockstep configurations, and safety-island architecture. Decide what we commit to and to whom on the path from ASIL-B to ASIL-D.

Requirements

• Domain — non-negotiable. 5–8 years of PM experience on hardware or silicon products. Senior IC background. We are not training a PM into the silicon world.
• Architecture fluency — non-negotiable. Substantive working conversation, no prep, on: NPU/compute architecture (dataflow, memory hierarchy, MAC-array sizing, bandwidth-vs-compute balance); datatypes and quantization (INT4, INT8, FP8, BF16, OCP MX — numerics tradeoffs, not just names); SoC integration (AMBA AXI4/ACE-Lite, CoreSight, power-domain partitioning); functional safety (ISO 26262, FMEDA, lockstep, ASIL-B/D); and the competitive landscape (Synopsys NPX, Arm Ethos, Ceva NeuPro, VeriSilicon Vivante).
• Customer-facing track record — non-negotiable. You have run architecture reviews with sophisticated technical buyers — Tier 1 automotive, OEM SoC teams — not just sat in them.
• IP-licensing rhythm — non-negotiable. Customers integrate our IP for 18–24 months before silicon ships. Decisions today appear in production volume in 2028. If that horizon feels abstract, this role will frustrate you.
• Agent-pilled — non-negotiable. You use agentic AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor, or equivalent) to produce work. Having read about agentic AI without integrating it is not sufficient.
• Customer first — non-negotiable. When engineering wants to build the elegant thing and the customer needs the workable thing, you take the workable thing every time.
• Direct experience with at least two of: NPU/AI accelerator architecture, SoC integration, DSP/vector compute, automotive silicon, semiconductor IP licensing
• EE/CE/CS engineering degree or equivalent depth
• Experience with in-person technical customer reviews
• Bay Area resident or willing to relocate to Burlingame

Preferred

• RTL or silicon-implementation background — shipped a block, sat through tape-out, or owned a microarchitecture spec end-to-end
• Prior IP vendor experience (Synopsys, Arm, Ceva, Cadence, Imagination, VeriSilicon, Rambus, or similar)
• Direct exposure to the AI/ML compute stack at the architecture level — dataflow, quantization, sparsity, mixed-precision tradeoffs
• Japanese-market customer experience — our largest account and a meaningful share of the pipeline is in Japan

Benefits

At Quadric, we value Integrity, Humility, and Happiness. What we expect from one another is simple and clear: Initiative, Collaboration, and Completion.

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity
• Medical, dental, and vision plan options starting on day one
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Flexible paid time off (unlimited, non-accrual)
• Company-provided lunches and a stocked kitchen
• Monthly parking or Caltrain pass
• Downtown Burlingame office, walking distance from Caltrain

The base salary range for this position is $200,000 to $250,000. This range reflects the full span of levels and geographies at which Quadric hires for this role. The actual base salary offered will depend on a number of factors, including the specific level of the role, years and depth of relevant experience, technical skills and competencies, the criticality of the role to the business, internal equity, and work location. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for equity and a discretionary annual performance bonus as applicable to the role and level.

Founded in 2016 and based in downtown Burlingame, California, Quadric is building the world's first supercomputer designed for the real-time needs of edge devices. The company was co-founded by Veerbhan Kheterpal (CEO) and Nigel Drego (CTO).

Quadric is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can do their best work.

If this role resonates with you, we encourage you to apply even if your experience does not perfectly match every qualification. We value potential, curiosity, and a willingness to learn just as much as direct experience. Skills and growth come in many forms, and we would love to hear your story.

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