Principal Strategic Program Manager (Government Programs)

Principal Strategic Program Manager (Government Programs)

Description -

Position Summary

We are seeking a Principal Strategic Program Manager to lead high-visibility strategic programs spanning government-funded initiatives/contracts. This role drives end-to-end execution: milestone/reporting delivery, compliance and financial tracking, legal engagement and compliance, executive-ready communications, and cross-functional alignment to ensure commitments are met on time and with high quality.

Key Responsibilities

Government programs / contracts leadership (CHIPS, ARPA-E, workforce and related commitments)

• Lead execution of major initiatives under the CHIPS Act (Federal and State), including timely submission of milestone reports and ongoing program deliverables.  This includes the Federal workforce program as well as the emerging CHIPS R&D program.
• Lead ARPA-E program commitments, ensuring compliance, financial tracking, and effective collaboration with internal and external partners.  This could also include emerging ARPA-E activities.
• Own/drive the “government programs” portfolio—described internally as a major portion of the role—covering CHIPS funding and government contracts and coordination between senior leaders to keep execution unblocked.  This will require close coordination with HP legal and Government Affairs
• Act as an external-interface program lead when required—responding to CHIPS and ARPA-E program office follow-ups, assembling required artifacts (e.g., assessments/action plans), and coordinating internal SMEs for accurate and complete responses.
• Be the face up from HP into the State and Federal CHIPS Program Offices (CPO) and lead the program management interface from the HP side with these government interfaces.

Executive cadence, communications, and operating rhythm

• Build and run executive meeting cadence: create agendas, manage pre-reads, and maintain shared repositories for slides/materials; coordinate adjustments and act as a point of contact for agenda changes on executive briefings.

Financial and legal governance for externally funded work

• Coordinate funding and cost object strategy for external funding activities (e.g., CHIPS and other externally funded work), including requesting/establishing appropriate cost objects and ensuring expenses are charged correctly.
• Work with finance teams to ensure budgeting, tracking, and reporting is done per guidelines with government agencies
• Understand ARPA-E and CHIPS contracts and work closely with legal teams to ensure compliance with activities.

Process, workflow, and continuous improvement

• Develop and optimize workflows that improve execution and clarity across teams; drive process improvements through cross-functional engagement.
• Serve as a subject matter expert/lead for program management systems and dashboards (e.g., PDP and WC RPS), including training, updates, and mentoring future leaders.

Reporting and data inputs for official submissions

• Oversee and ensure official reporting and maintain consistency across reporting cycles.

Key Measures of Success

• Government program deliverables and milestone reports are on time, audit-ready, complete, and disbursements complete per plan.
• External funding/cost object governance is clear, correct, and frictionless for stakeholders.
• Executive communications are concise, trusted, and consistently actionable.

Required Qualifications

• Education & Experience Recommended
  • Four-year or Graduate Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or any other related discipline or commensurate work experience or demonstrated competence.
  • Typically has 10+ years of work experience, preferably in engineering development and implementation, project planning tools and software packages, people management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional programs with executive visibility (Principal-level scope).

• Experience managing deliverables tied to government programs/contracts and coordinating compliant reporting and artifacts.
• Strong financial and business acumen: cost object governance, program financial tracking, and partnering effectively with Finance/approvers.
• Good appreciation for legal activities and ability to partner across functions and with government organizations.
• Broad technical and business understanding and strong network.
• Excellent written/verbal communication skills; ability to translate ambiguity into an operating plan and drive closure.
• Proven ability to influence without authority across multiple organizations and leadership l