In companies like Apple, Google, Nvidia, Qualcomm, AMD and Intel what kind of skill sets do design managers possess (technical skillset)? Are they experts in one domain (for eg: RTL/arch or verification or backend) and have very little to no clue of the other domains? Or have they spent few years in each of these roles that leads them to where they are. How do their career paths typical look?
Their careerpath is like taking all the credit from engineers and getting award from management like manager did all the work. Engineer gets $50 gift card
What about the other companies or even startups
I’ll give you a serious answer: in most places first level mangers have experience and technical skills relevant for the type of work their employees do. Presumably they were individual contributors to begin with and through leadership training, and taking on leading roles, and showing interest in management duties, were promoted to their current positions. They usually also go through diversity and bias training, and are exposed to bigger picture and direction for the company. Some skills, such as conflict resolution, priority management, budgeting, expense management, and yes politics, are learned on the job as a manager. Not everyone is cut out to a good manager. I know some pretty smart individuals who would make poor managers. You’ve got to have the ability to delegate tasks, set priorities, foster an environment of trust, and bring out the best in your team. Individuals who see the world as black and white should stay far away from management. Now, forget everything I said if we’re talking about second level managers (i.e., directors) or Intel...that requires a book to write about
Don't need a book for Intel. Managers are given roles based on their reliable loyalty to the hand that feeds them. I've seen a shit tier backend button masher who has never written a line of RTL or test given an entire CPU core IP, a digital design person who has been out of the game for 10 years given a serdes mixed signal unit. This scheme doesn't just apply to managers, most promos to PE/Sr PE are based on loyalty and relationships.
You have a lot of bad managers (or unnecessary bloated org structures) in this thread. A good manager helps the team stay on track. Focused on what’s immediately necessary to accomplish, and helps the team maintain a forward looking vision. Your skills should include having great people and socializing skills, deep understanding of design and engineering tools and frameworks, and the ability to strategically frame and approach ideas. Your duties will include unblocking designers, whether it be by inspiring or helping them work through a tough technical or people problem. As well as helping the team set and work toward a direction. Last and most important, your teams careers are in your hands. You must help they define and achieve their short and long term goals.
Thanks for some serious answers.. other than behavioral I was looking for more from a technical experience standpoint. Its good to know what is required behaviour wise, but also wanted to know the combination of technical skills needed. For example. Will one specialization suffice or. Combination of both or all three
Basically, you have to be a competent enough engineer technically to at least understand any issues that come up. The rest is just being willing to herd cats, come up with schedules (realistic ones) and meet them. Individual contributors have the luxury of saying “can’t be done” managers don’t.
Herd cats lol.. do companies hire external candidates directly for such jobs? And if they do is it mostly mba grads
To get to a managerial position in Hardware Engineering is tough, reason - basically you will be competing with people sitting there with years of experience and ASIC cycles are so slow So to get a few successful tape outs under your name is tough. Next in-terms of domain expertise you can be a RTL Design manager or Verif manager or PD manager or Emulation Manager , you don’t have to know cross domain in detail but definitely able to contribute in an Architecture meeting. Understand the whole ASIC life cycle. Show that you are people’s person able to mentor people under you, get to tech Lead or Sr Engineer. Also take a few management courses. Last stick with the company for good 3-4 years and with at least 2 promo before you jump.
I’ve never even heard of the design manager role, so it must not be very important lmao
It's called differently at different companies. A.k.a Sr director who is in charge of delivering an SoC chip or an IP. He is responsible for everything about the IP right from arch to post silicon.
Ohh I was thinking like a UX Designer but a manager. For a hardware position I guess I would assume they were like a PE signing off on apprentice engineers designs lol. But yea the hardware ladder is totally outside my knowledge.
I’ve had amazing managers! Managers are usually technically the strongest in team. They understand their niche, but also other aspects and cycles of Design. But that is not their best quality, their main job to enable their team’s best work while shielding then from politics, blaming.
At Intel the managers are purely political operators with zero technical skills.
Feels bad man.