Job Title: Director of Engineering Operations
As the Director of Engineering Operations, you will be the operational and engineering execution backbone of the company—driving alignment, velocity, and cross-functional coordination across PIC design, lab development, system architecture, module engineering, and customer-facing work.
This is a high-energy, fast-paced leadership role for someone who thrives on taking complex hardware and photonics programs from concept to demonstration and to product. You will be a key leader shaping the roadmap, engineering processes, ensuring tight integration between teams, and keep execution on track across multi-foundry tapeouts, link demos, module architecture, and customer pilot programs.
We are looking for a strong operator with deep optical transceiver experience, excellent communication skills, and the ability to coach and elevate engineering teams.
Key Responsibilities:
- Own cross-functional execution roadmap across PIC, lab, systems, firmware, packaging, and module
- Drive overall product engineering including milestone target setting and tracking
- Maintain the master plan for tapeouts, demos, customer pilot builds, and module development
- Implement execution frameworks, OKR tracking, risk management, and dependency management
- Coordinate with Co-CTOs to translate architecture and PIC requirements into end products
- Ensure deliverables across PIC, test, firmware, packaging, and module engineering align cleanly
- Oversee lab operations and test flows to ensure proper prioritization and efficient output
- Drive critical link demos, fiber testing, and stability testing through product development
- Mentor engineers on communication, documentation, and measurement readiness
- Work with the Head of Product to align engineering output with customer requirements
- Support customer and partner technical interactions (hyperscalers, module vendors, ASIC vendors)
Required Qualifications and Skills:
- 8–15+ years in optical transceivers, silicon photonics, optical modules, or high-speed hardware
- Understanding of optical link architecture, PIC-based transceivers, WDM systems, coupling/packaging
- Proven success driving complex hardware programs or multi-disciplinary engineering teams
- Proven track record in engineering pluggable modules and/or custom module form factors
- Exceptional organizational skill and ability to create clarity from ambiguity
- High energy and urgency, able to drive teams to aggressive milestones
- Strong communication and coaching/mentoring ability
- Experience with lab workflows, test planning, validation cycles, and hardware bring-up
- Experience with silicon photonics tapeout cycles.
- Experience in early-stage startups.
- Leadership experience in program management, engineering operations, or NPI.
- Familiarity with reliability and qualification flows.
- Experience engaging hyperscalers or large module customers.
