R&D Project Leader

Manage internal development projects, Joint Development Projects, European funded projects and become one of the key players in operational management of the Compute System Architecture unit.

What you will do

The imec Compute System Architecture (CSA) unit, is responsible for the system level innovation of next generation computing systems. This unit is currently expanding significantly. As R&D Project Leader, you manage several internal development projects, Joint Development Projects (JDPs), European funded projects, and take on certain aspects of the operational management of our organization.

In this role you assume the following responsibilities:

• Manage the scope of the project and flag requested changes
• Start from a high-level plan and define in collaboration with the team a work breakdown structure to the level of individual tasks.
• Carry out the first internal assessment of the resources required to execute research projects (definition of milestones and deliverables, the project team members required to reach the objectives and an overview of dependencies). In addition, you ensure a balance between customer needs and imec’s available resources and priorities in collaboration with the technical lead/manager.
• Define a way of working for the project team (meeting schedule, documentation, and reporting, ...).
• Monitor progress with respect to the approved plan (e.g., keep track of key deliverables, critical lot progress, create and track resource dashboards).
• Capture and examine issues/risks and estimate the impact. When required you escalate to higher management.
• Explore and identify value creation opportunities in work methods and business processes in collaboration with the various stakeholders in the different units.
• Lead or participate in projects that drive operational effectiveness.
• Work on implementing and improving our overall project methodology.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will define the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer (http://www.imec-int.com/en/careers#diversity) and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. In everything we do, your future colleagues are guided by the imec values of passion, excellence, connectedness and integrity. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

Who you are

“Must-haves” (essential skills)

• Master’s degree in engineering with electronics as a key part of your studies.
• Minimal 5 years of experience in project management or equal responsibilities
• True team player
• English professional proficiency (spoken and written)
• Knowledge of Agile, Scum and waterfall way of working. Constructive communication approach
• Strong analytic reasoning & problem-solving capabilities
• Customer oriented
• Ability to communicate on all levels of the organization
• Enthusiastic about new CPU/GPU architectures and the potential of Artificial Intelligence.
• An interest in research and innovation
• High level of discretion when handling confidential information

"Should-haves” (a great candidate is familiar with most of these)

• You have used agile & scrum project management in previous projects
• Knowledge of change management and project delivery management
• Experience in system-level R&D projects
• You enjoy building strong internal and external relationships, have a customer focus and are result-oriented.
• You can share your point of view in a convincing way, and you have strong presentation skills.

"Could-haves" (it nice to tick a few of these boxes)

• Knowledge on computer architecture: CPU and GPU architecture, memory and cache organization, internals of an out of order core, ...
• PMP or Prince2 certification and the knowledge to apply the methodology in a pragmatic way
• Expertise in writing project proposals (for funded projects)
• Knowledge of software development process, git
• Knowledge of AI and ML