Namitha Somasundaram

Location: Boise, Idaho, USA

Current/Most Recent Company/Position: Manager, Engineering Product Management, Micron Technology

Background/Interest Areas/Expertise:

10+ years in semiconductors. Currently leading product execution for DRAM memory technologies that power AI workloads for hyperscalers such as Google, AWS, Meta, etc. Started as an RTL/SoC design engineer at Intel (DDR memory controllers, CXL, 5G baseband) before transitioning into engineering product management. I think of my work as the "orchestrator of silicon," taking products from 0 to 1 (from architecture through high-volume manufacturing) across 12+ global cross-functional teams.

What I love mentoring about:

• Semiconductor & AI infrastructure: memory as the bottleneck for LLM training and inference, and industry trends, the GPU–DRAM bandwidth gap, and where hardware careers intersect with the AI boom

• Hardware product & program management: NPI execution, qualification frameworks, navigating matrixed orgs, leading cross-functional teams without direct authority

• The engineer-to-leader transition: moving from individual contributor roles into PM/TPM work, and what's actually worth optimizing for early in your career

• Career strategy in big tech: job searching across semiconductor companies, resume positioning, informational interviews, and navigating transitions

• Building professional visibility: thought leadership through writing, conference speaking, and LinkedIn networking that actually works

• International careers in US tech: I came from India for grad school at Virginia Tech and have navigated the visa, relocation, and cultural transitions many international students face

Outside of my day job, I have held leadership roles in Intel's NextGen ERG (across 7,000+ employees and 9 US sites) and Toastmasters International (Area Director, Club President). I'm comfortable going deep on technical topics, but I most enjoy the human side of career conversations; that is, helping students see their own situation from a new angle.

If you're curious about hardware careers, AI infrastructure, transitioning out of pure engineering, or you just want to think out loud about what's next, feel free to reach out.