The posting
Are you a seasoned quality and industrialization leader who has taken semiconductor processes from the lab to qualified, high-yield volume production, and built the quality organization around them? At Lightium, we are building next-generation photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), and we are looking for a Head of Quality and Industrialization to take our technology from development to a qualified, certified, and multi-sourced production platform.
Position Summary
We seek a senior Head of Quality and Industrialization, with at least 10 years of experience in quality and industrialization in the semiconductor industry, to own the path from process development to qualified volume production. You will build our first quality management system and take the company to ISO 9001 certification by end-2027, industrialize our TFLN processes and qualify our 200 mm line for production, run our network of external fabs, foundries, and back-end subcontractors, and own yield, reliability, and product qualification for markets ranging from datacenter and telecom to space and defense. As part of the Operations team, you will bring the experience, the methods, and the mindset that turn a fast-moving startup into a reliable, audit-ready supplier as we scale from pilot to volume production.
Key Responsibilities
Quality Management System & ISO 9001 Certification: Design and build our first QMS (quality strategy, process architecture, procedures, work instructions, and document and record control), sized for a semiconductor startup.
Own the internal and external audit program, the management review cycle, and the corrective and preventive action loop.
Bring the company to ISO 9001 compliance by mid-2027, with certification targeted by end-2027.
Process Industrialization & Technology Transfer:
Industrialize our TFLN photonic processes from development to repeatable production: NPI, process qualification, transfer packages, and production readiness gates.
Lead the qualification of Lightium’s 200 mm TFLN line for production.
Own process FMEAs, control plans, and process change control, both internally and at our suppliers.
Qualify new processes, tools, and process changes, and define capability acceptance criteria (Cpk / Ppk).
Design and build the strategy for Telcordia and any other qualification required to industrialize our platform for its different markets (telecom, datacenter, space, defense, and others).
Foundry & Subcontractor Management:
Be the point of contact for our external fabs, foundries, and back-end subcontractors (front-end, wafer-level packaging, assembly, and test), and own the relationship across technical, operational, and quality topics.
Run foundry governance: qualification and approval, quality agreements and specifications, audits, scorecards, supplier corrective action requests, PCN handling, and continuous improvement plans.
Drive foundry engineering topics end-to-end: scrap and compensation, delivery commitments, split lots, and the integration of Lightium’s requirements into the partner’s systems.
Identify and qualify new fabs to run our TFLN process, including site visits as well as technical, commercial, and legal negotiations, to bring on one additional fab in Asia and one in Europe and drive Lightium’s dual-sourcing strategy.
Contribute to building the production strategy for our next-generation manufacturing.
Yield, Data & Statistical Process Control:
Lead the test and quality control strategy: what to test, how to test, how many to test, and how to analyze the data.
Own yield: wafer- and die-level yield analysis, defect signature identification, loss Paretos, and yield improvement roadmaps together with engineering.
Be the champion of SPC across the line: control charts, process capability studies (Cpk), and measurement system analysis (GR&R) on our metrology.
Turn our measurement, PLM, and ERP data into quality KPIs and decisions.
Reliability & Product Qualification:
Define and run the reliability and qualification strategy for our PICs, to Telcordia GR-468-CORE and the relevant JEDEC and MIL-STD methods.
Own accelerated life and environmental testing (HTOL, temperature cycling, damp heat, 1,000-hour continuous operation, mechanical), qualification plans, and qualification reports.
Build our failure analysis capability and close the loop from FA findings back into design and process.
Production, Customer & Supplier Quality:
Own quality across our PIC production line: incoming (IQC), in-process (IPQC), and outgoing (OQC) control, in-line quality gates, release criteria, nonconforming material, and the Material Review Board.
Be the quality interface to our customers: agree quality requirements and specifications, prepare qualification and release documentation, host customer and certification audits, and own the RMA process end-to-end.
Lead structured problem solving for internal, supplier, and customer issues with the 8D framework, drive root-cause analysis with engineering, and write the lessons back into FMEAs, control plans, and work instructions.
Operational Excellence, Team & Continuous Improvement:
Embed the quality and industrialization processes in our systems: Aras Innovator (PLM), Oracle NetSuite (ERP), and our future MES.
Be the champion of continuous improvement: run improvement cycles on the line and lead 5S in our cleanroom and production areas.
Build, train, and coach the team, and build the quality mindset and ownership across engineering, production, and operations from the ground up.
What you’ll bring
Educational Background: A degree in engineering, materials science, physics, or a related technical field; an advanced degree (MSc or PhD) is a plus. Formal quality qualifications such as ISO 9001 lead auditor or Six Sigma Black Belt are a strong asset.
Experience: A minimum of 10 years of experience in quality and industrialization in the semiconductor industry is required, ideally in photonics, compound semiconductors, MEMS, or another wafer-based technology, including several years leading quality or industrialization teams. You have taken processes from development to qualified, high-yield volume production, managed external fabs and back-end subcontractors, and led an organization through ISO 9001 certification. Experience building a quality and industrialization function from scratch, in a startup or scale-up environment, is a strong asset.
Technical Expertise: Deep, hands-on command of the semiconductor quality and industrialization toolbox: NPI and technology transfer, process qualification, process FMEA and control plans, process change control, SPC, process capability (Cpk / Ppk) and MSA / GR&R, yield analysis and loss Paretos, 8D and structured root-cause analysis, CAPA, and internal and supplier auditing. Proven experience in foundry and subcontractor management, including quality agreements, PCN handling, scorecards, and the qualification of new sources. A solid background in reliability and product qualification, ideally to Telcordia GR-468-CORE, JEDEC, and MIL-STD methods, including accelerated life and environmental testing and failure analysis. Experience with customer quality and RMA handling, and comfortable working in PLM, ERP, and MES systems and shaping how quality processes, traceability, and documentation are implemented in them. Exposure to telecom, datacenter, automotive, space, or defense quality requirements is a plus.
Mindset:
A senior leader who is still happy to be hands-on: credible in front of a foundry’s engineering team or a customer’s auditors, and equally willing to write the first work instruction yourself or stand at the tool to understand a defect. You have the experience to know what matters at each stage of a startup’s growth, introduce discipline without slowing the company to a corporate pace, and make quality something the team wants rather than something imposed on it. A clear communicator, coach, and team builder, comfortable challenging data and holding a line with suppliers, partners, and customers alike.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required. German, French, Chinese is a plus.
What We Offer
A unique opportunity to build the quality and industrialization foundation of a company producing cutting-edge photonic integrated circuits for next-generation AI data centers, and to take our TFLN platform from development to a qualified, certified, and dual-sourced production line. A competitive compensation and benefits package, including an employee stock option plan (ESOP). Continuous learning support through courses, certifications, conferences, and trade shows. To become a key player in an early-phase, impact-driven team, with the chance to grow your professional skills at a fast pace.
We'd love to hear from you if you're passionate about building new tech from the ground up and thrive in a collaborative and innovati
