What is a Project Manager at Advanced Micro Devices?

At Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), the Project Manager (often titled Program Manager or Technical Program Manager) is the engine behind our execution excellence. We do not just build chips; we build the products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences—from AI and data centers to gaming and embedded systems. In this role, you are the connective tissue between our complex engineering ecosystems (silicon design, firmware, software, validation) and our business objectives.

You will step into an environment where innovation happens at the transistor level and scales to the cloud. Whether you are managing BIOS deliverables for a new server platform, driving the roadmap for our ROCm software stack, or embedding with customers to optimize their AI infrastructure, your work directly impacts our ability to compete and win against industry giants. You are not just tracking dates; you are managing dependencies in a highly matrixed, cross-functional environment where precision and adaptability are paramount.

This position requires more than just administrative oversight. You will be expected to understand the technical constraints of the product lifecycle—whether that is the intricacies of silicon tape-out or the nuances of AI/ML training workflows. You will lead world-class engineers, navigate ambiguity, and ensure that our boldest ideas translate into delivered products that shape the future of technology.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for an AMD interview requires a shift in mindset. We look for candidates who can blend rigorous process discipline with the technical empathy required to work with hardware and software engineers. Do not just review your resume; review your impact.

You will be evaluated primarily on the following criteria:

Technical & Domain Fluency For technical program management roles, you must speak the language of the teams you support. We assess your ability to understand system dependencies—such as how a delay in silicon sampling impacts firmware validation or how a change in software requirements affects the release schedule. You do not need to write the code, but you must understand the architecture well enough to identify risks.

Cross-Functional Leadership AMD operates in a highly matrixed structure. You will be evaluated on your ability to influence without authority. We want to hear how you build consensus between conflicting groups (e.g., Design vs. QA vs. Customer Support) and how you drive decisions when stakeholders have competing priorities.

Risk Management & Problem Solving Things rarely go exactly according to plan in semiconductor and software development. We look for your ability to proactively identify "red flags" before they become critical issues. You must demonstrate how you create mitigation plans, manage critical paths, and communicate bad news to executive leadership with proposed solutions, not just problems.

Execution Excellence This is a core cultural value at AMD. You need to demonstrate mastery of project management artifacts—schedules, resource forecasts, and KPIs. We will test your ability to take a vague objective and break it down into a concrete, actionable plan of record (POR).

Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Advanced Micro Devices is designed to be thorough, assessing both your functional skills and your alignment with our culture of "bold ideas and humble execution." generally, the process moves from a high-level assessment of your background to a deep dive into your specific program management capabilities.

Expect to begin with a recruiter screen that focuses on your timeline, interest in AMD, and high-level qualifications. This is followed by a hiring manager screen, which is often a mix of behavioral questions and a check on your technical baseline (e.g., familiarity with SDLC, Agile, or hardware lifecycles). If you pass these stages, you will move to a comprehensive onsite (or virtual onsite) panel. This panel typically consists of 4–5 rounds with cross-functional partners, including engineering leads, peer program managers, and product owners.

What distinguishes our process is the focus on situational fluency. You will likely face fewer abstract brain teasers and more scenario-based questions derived from real challenges we face in silicon and software development. Interviewers will want to know how you handle specific situations, such as a bug being found days before a release or a customer changing requirements mid-cycle.

The timeline above illustrates the typical flow for a Project Manager candidate. Use the time between the screen and the panel to brush up on the specific domain mentioned in the job description (e.g., AI/ML workflows, BIOS/UEFI, or Sales Operations), as the panel rounds will test your depth in these areas.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed, you must demonstrate competence across several distinct areas. Based on data from successful candidates and our internal expectations, here is how we break down the evaluation.

Program Lifecycle Management

You must demonstrate end-to-end ownership. Interviewers want to see that you understand every phase of a project, from concept and requirements gathering to validation, release, and post-mortem.

Be ready to go over:

• Planning & Scheduling: How you build a Plan of Record (POR) and manage the critical path.
• Methodologies: Your experience with Agile/Scrum (common in our SW/AI teams) vs. Waterfall (common in silicon/hardware).
• Tooling: Your proficiency with Jira, Confluence, and MS Project for tracking progress.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you created a schedule for your last major complex program. How did you determine the dependencies?"
• "How do you handle scope creep when a stakeholder adds a requirement halfway through the cycle?"
• "Describe a time you had to negotiate a timeline with engineering leadership."

Risk & Crisis Management

In the semiconductor industry, risks are constant. We evaluate your ability to remain calm under pressure and your foresight in preventing fires.

Be ready to go over:

• Identification: How you spot early warning signs of slippage.
• Mitigation: The specific frameworks you use to track and burn down risks.
• Communication: How you report status to executives when a program is "Red."

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time a project was at risk of missing a critical deadline. What actions did you take to recover?"
• "How do you prioritize bugs during a release crunch?"
• "What is your process for managing external dependencies that are outside of your control?"

Technical & Cross-Functional Alignment

This is the "connective tissue" aspect of the role. You are evaluated on your ability to bridge the gap between technical teams and business goals.

Be ready to go over:

• Stakeholder Management: How you keep Design, Validation, and Product teams aligned.
• Technical Literacy: Your understanding of the specific domain (e.g., GPU infrastructure, BIOS deliverables, or CMS integrations).
• Conflict Resolution: How you handle disagreements between engineering teams regarding implementation details.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a situation where two engineering teams had a conflict that blocked progress. How did you resolve it?"
• "How do you explain complex technical delays to non-technical stakeholders?"
• "Give an example of how you influenced a decision without having direct authority over the team."

Key Responsibilities

As a Project Manager at Advanced Micro Devices, your day-to-day work will vary depending on your specific team (e.g., Client, Server, AI, or Sales Ops), but the core responsibilities remain consistent. You are responsible for defining and leading key deliverables, ensuring they arrive on schedule and meet quality standards.

You will spend a significant portion of your time building and maintaining the program plan. This involves coordinating with cross-functional teams—such as Design, Platform, Validation, QA, and Firmware Development—to establish requirements and schedules. You are the owner of the "truth" regarding the project's status. You will generate formal artifacts, including timelines, risk logs, and resource forecasts, and you will be responsible for reporting this status regularly to executives.

Collaboration is central to the role. You will foster relationships with internal development teams and, in some roles, external customers. For example, in our Forward Deployed Engineering or Technical Program Manager roles, you might embed directly with customers to understand their AI/ML workloads or platform requirements, translating their pain points into actionable engineering schedules. You will drive alignment between what the customer needs and what AMD can deliver.

Finally, you will drive process discipline. Whether acting as a Scrum Master for a software team or managing the silicon sampling process for a hardware team, you are expected to initiate changes that improve efficiency. You will identify bottlenecks, advocate for better issue tracking, and ensure that the team remains focused on the highest-priority goals.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

We hire for a mix of hard skills and adaptive soft skills. The specific technical requirements will depend on whether you are applying for a software-focused role (AI/ROCm) or a hardware-focused role (Silicon/BIOS).

Must-have skills

• Project Management Expertise: 3–10+ years of experience managing complex technical programs. Proficiency with tools like Jira, Confluence, and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel/Project) is non-negotiable.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to communicate status, risks, and technical details to both engineering peers and senior management.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Proven experience leading matrixed teams and driving goals across different geographies and functions.
• Educational Background: A degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science is highly desired (and often required for TPM roles).

Nice-to-have skills

• Domain Specifics: Knowledge of BIOS/UEFI, GPU infrastructure, AI/ML frameworks (PyTorch, JAX), or Datacenter system design is a massive differentiator.
• Certifications: PMP or Scrum Master certification is a plus, though experience often trumps certification.
• Customer-Facing Experience: For senior roles, experience in "forward deployed" or solutions engineering roles is highly valued.
• Technical Skills: Experience with software development (HTML, JS) or cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) for our software-focused program management roles.

Common Interview Questions

The following questions are representative of what you might encounter. They are drawn from candidate data and aligned with AMD's focus on technical execution and collaborative culture. Do not memorize answers; instead, use these to practice structuring your experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Behavioral & Leadership

• "Tell me about a time you had to lead a team through a significant change in project scope. How did you keep morale high?"
• "Describe a time you had to deliver bad news to a key stakeholder or customer. How did you handle it?"
• "How do you handle a team member who is consistently missing deadlines?"
• "Give an example of a time you influenced a decision-maker to change their mind."
• "What is your approach to managing a team that does not report to you directly?"

Program Execution & Risk

• "How do you determine the critical path in a complex project with multiple dependencies?"
• "Imagine you are one week away from a major release and a critical bug is found. Walk me through your decision-making process."
• "How do you balance the trade-offs between scope, schedule, and quality?"
• "Describe a time you identified a process inefficiency. What did you do to fix it?"
• "How do you track and report project status to ensure transparency?"

Technical & Domain (Role Dependent)

• "How do you manage dependencies between hardware and firmware teams?"
• "Explain a complex technical concept to me as if I were a non-technical stakeholder."
• "What is your experience with Agile vs. Waterfall, and when would you apply one over the other?"
• "How would you manage the release schedule for a new AI software stack update?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical does the Project Manager interview get? For Technical Program Manager roles, it can get quite detailed. While you will not be asked to code on a whiteboard, you should expect questions about the software development lifecycle (SDLC), hardware validation cycles, or specific technologies like AI/ML workflows if relevant to the job description. For general Program Manager roles, the focus is more on process and methodology.

Q: What is the culture like at AMD? AMD prides itself on being "direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive." We are a company of engineers. The culture is less about flash and more about getting the job done. You will find a highly collaborative environment where people are willing to help, but you are also expected to take ownership and drive results independently.

Q: What is the typical timeline for the interview process? The process usually takes 3 to 5 weeks from the initial recruiter screen to the final offer. This can vary depending on the seniority of the role and the availability of the hiring panel.

Q: Is this role remote or hybrid? Most Project Manager roles at AMD are Hybrid, typically requiring you to be in the office (e.g., Austin, Santa Clara, San Jose) a few days a week. This is essential for roles that require close collaboration with engineering labs or hardware teams.

Q: Does AMD sponsor visas for this role? This varies by specific requisition. Some job postings explicitly state "This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship," so please check the specific job description carefully before applying.

Other General Tips

Know the Product Roadmap Before your interview, familiarize yourself with AMD’s recent product launches (e.g., EPYC processors, Ryzen, Instinct accelerators). Understanding where the company is winning in the market—specifically in Data Center and AI—shows that you are commercially aware and passionate about the mission.

Be Honest About What You Don't Know If you are asked a technical question outside your expertise, do not bluff. AMD interviewers value humility (it is one of our core values). Admit what you do not know, but then explain how you would leverage your team or resources to find the answer.

Highlight "Matrix" Experience AMD is a large, complex organization. emphasizing your experience working in "matrixed" environments—where you had to coordinate across different time zones, departments, and reporting lines—will resonate strongly with hiring managers.

Focus on "We" but Define "I" When answering behavioral questions, it is good to credit the team ("We delivered..."), but make sure you clearly articulate your specific contribution ("I identified the risk...", "I created the plan..."). We need to know what you brought to the table.

Summary & Next Steps

Becoming a Project Manager at Advanced Micro Devices is an opportunity to sit at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and massive scale. Whether you are coordinating the launch of a new AI chip or managing the software ecosystem that powers it, your work will have a tangible impact on the industry. This role demands a unique combination of technical understanding, rigorous process management, and the people skills to navigate a complex, collaborative organization.

To succeed, focus your preparation on demonstrating how you manage risk, how you drive cross-functional alignment, and how you maintain execution excellence in dynamic environments. Review your past projects and be ready to discuss the "how" and "why" behind your decisions. Approach the interview with confidence, curiosity, and a clear demonstration of how you can help us solve the world’s most important challenges.

The salary data above provides a general baseline for Project and Program Management roles. Compensation at AMD typically includes a base salary, a performance-based bonus, and restricted stock units (RSUs), which are a significant component of the total package. Seniority, location (e.g., Bay Area vs. Austin), and specific technical domain expertise will heavily influence the final offer.

For more exclusive interview insights, real-world question examples, and community discussions, explore the resources available on Dataford. Good luck—you have the potential to drive the next wave of innovation at AMD.