Industrialisation Project Manager

About us

We're a multicultural team of experts pushing the boundaries of what's possible in integrated optics. Our mission is to make photonic integration accessible and industrially scalable. We deliver best-in-class PIC platforms, design enablement, and integrated solutions that empower our customers to innovate faster and bring light-based technologies from concept to production.

About the role

As our Industrialisation Project Manager, you will lead technical innovation to scale LIGENTEC’s Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) platform to high-volume commercial manufacturing. Reporting directly to the Head of Industrialisation, PMO & Quality, you will be the driving force bridging advanced R&D, process engineering, external foundries, and executive leadership. In this high-impact position, you will orchestrate complex New Product Introduction (NPI) roadmaps, establish PMO best practices, and deliver robust, high-yield manufacturing processes that bring next-generation integrated photonics to global markets.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead TFLN Scale-Up & NPI Initiatives: Drive the end-to-end transition of Thin-Film Lithium Niobate technology from pilot stage to high-volume, high-yield wafer-scale manufacturing, keeping customer technical specifications and market needs front and center.

• Full-Lifecycle Project Ownership: Define scope, budget, work packages, milestones, and critical-path schedules; proactively identify technical bottlenecks and implement robust risk mitigation plans to maintain project velocity.

• Strategic Partner & Foundry Management: Manage technical and commercial relationships with external foundries, supply chain partners, and equipment vendors. Define statements of work (SOWs), conduct on-site technical audits, and lead contract negotiations.

• Cross-Functional & Executive Alignment: Serve as the central communication bridge across R&D, process engineering, operations, and the executive leadership team to guarantee resource alignment and strategic execution.

• PMO Excellence & Quality Standards: Institutionalize standard project management methodologies, stage-gate reviews, and KPI dashboards. Integrate semiconductor/automotive quality and manufacturing standards to ensure operational excellence.

What you bring

• Educational Background: Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Photonics, Microelectronics, Semiconductor Physics, Materials Science, or a related engineering discipline.

• Semiconductor & Photonics Expertise: Demonstrated hands-on track record in semiconductor or photonic integrated circuit (PIC) fabrication and manufacturing environments; specific familiarity with Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) and/or Silicon Nitride (SiN) platforms is a strong advantage.

• NPI & Quality Track Record: Solid experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), yield ramp-up, and wafer-level fabrication scaling, with an appreciation for automotive or industrial semiconductor quality standards.

• Proven Project Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage multi-stakeholder, technically complex hardware and process development initiatives from design transfer through full commercial deployment (PMP, Prince2, or Agile certification is a plus).

• Vendor & Partner Collaboration: Confidence in managing external strategic partners and foundries, including contract scoping, technical specifications, and willingness to travel for on-site reviews and audits.

• Agility & Communication: Resilient problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth deep-tech scale-up environment; fluent professional English is required, and knowledge of French is a valuable asset.

What we offer

A dynamic role at the heart of the deep-tech revolution where your technical expertise directly impacts product adoption. You will join an international team of specialists, gain deep exposure to market-leading photonic applications, and shape how photonic integration is deployed worldwide.

Practicalities

• Location: Lausanne / Ecublens, Switzerland (on-site).

• Work percentage: 100%.

• Languages: English is our working language; French or other languages are a plus.

• Start date: As soon as possible.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Please note that we do not accept applications or CVs sent via email; submit yours directly through our career page as soon as possible.

If you have any questions, reach out to Manal Mohamed, HR Business Partner, at [email protected]