Manager, Pilot Line Technician Team

Photonic Inc.; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 106,000 - 146,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation (base salary,

Stock options and relocation for cross

Job summary

Photonic Inc. is seeking a seasoned leader to build and manage a high-performing test and assembly technician team in our lab. You will drive daily operations, ensure strict SOP adherence, and deliver fully characterized chips for quantum computers.

You will recruit, onboard, coach, and develop technicians, maintaining qualification records and training programs while partnering with HR and engineering. A strong safety mindset and data-driven approach are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3+ years leading technician or operator teams in semiconductor/photonic labs.
• Experience running a lab or pilot line on SOPs, shift scheduling, staff qualification.
• Degree in physics, electrical engineering, photonics, mechatronics, or related discipline.
• Experience authoring and maintaining SOPs, training programs, and qualification records.
• Strong safety mindset with focus on personnel and equipment protection.
• Analytical skills for KPIs like yield, throughput, uptime and OEE.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to translate directions to the team.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of technicians with daily priorities and shift coverage.
• Recruit, onboard, and performance-manage technicians with HR for career growth.
• Maintain qualification records, training logs, and station certifications.
• Translate new test methods into clear SOPs and work instructions.
• Own day-to-day test and assembly flow and ensure SOPs are followed.
• Escalate issues and drive root-cause investigations with Engineering.
• Maintain safety standards, lab cleanliness, PPE, and material handling.
• Track KPIs and drive continuous improvement across the team.

Skills

Leadership

Operational discipline

Technical foundation

Process authorship

Safety mindset

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Talent management

Stakeholder management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Physics or engineering degree

Job description

Are you that rare leader who excels at building and developing a high-performing technician team while ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and throughput in a lab environment? Do you thrive on coaching people, structuring daily operations, and driving disciplined execution against SOPs? Do you move seamlessly from shift planning to root-cause discussions to one-on-one coaching? Do you enjoy working at the nexus of people and cutting-edge technology?

If you answered yes to this, we're looking for you to join us at Photonic!

The Test and Assembly Integration Engineering team is an integral part of the Development & Engineering group at Photonic, where we're building scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers based on photonically-linked silicon spins. In this role, you will lead a team of test and assembly technicians responsible for executing chip test and assembly operations across our pilot line — running stations, following SOPs with precision, and delivering fully characterized chips into our quantum computers.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of test and assembly technicians — setting daily priorities, balancing workload across test stations, and managing shift coverage to maximize lab utilization
• Recruit, onboard, and performance-manage technicians in partnership with HR; provide cross-training opportunities and support internal career growth
• Foster a high-performance, results-driven, and inclusive team culture where technicians feel ownership of their stations and pride in their craft
• Build a clear 30/60/90 onboarding framework for new technicians and own ongoing technician qualification on each station
• Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and career development conversations

Operational Execution

• Own day-to-day execution of the test and assembly flow, ensuring technicians follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) precisely and consistently
• Maintain qualification records, training logs, and certification status for every technician–station pairing
• Partner with Test and Device Engineering to translate new test methods into clear, technician-executable SOPs, work instructions, and checklists
• Manage equipment readiness — coordinate calibration, preventive maintenance, and qualification schedules in partnership with Engineering and Facilities
• Serve as the first-line escalation point for technicians on station issues, routing non-routine troubleshooting and failure investigations to the appropriate Engineering owner

Safety, Quality & Process Discipline

• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring all activities protect personnel, equipment, and chips; enforce lab cleanliness, PPE, and handling protocols for sensitive materials
• Ensure rigorous adherence to change control — no procedure, recipe, or station configuration changes without proper authorization and updated SOPs
• Promote a culture where technicians are empowered to stop work, elevate concerns, and seek resolution whenever safety, quality, process compliance, and equipment integrity could be compromised.
• Maintain accurate records of test runs, anomalies, and station logs to support traceability and root-cause analysis

Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain systems for tracking and reporting key technician-team KPIs (throughput, yield, cycle time, station uptime, SOP compliance), ensuring data-driven decision making
• Partner with Test Engineering on the failure-analysis feedback loop, ensuring technician observations are captured and fed back into process improvements
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, and automate repetitive tasks so technicians can focus on high-value execution
• Communicate across an interdisciplinary team of device, hardware, software, and operations engineers to align on requirements, schedules, and deliverables

WHAT YOU BRING TO OUR TEAM

• Leadership Skills: 3+ years leading technician, operator, or junior-engineer teams in a semiconductor, photonics, optics, or cryogenic R&D / pilot-manufacturing environment, with demonstrated ability to deliver with quality, velocity, and safety
• Operational Discipline: Proven experience running a lab or pilot line on SOPs — scheduling shifts, qualifying staff on stations, and enforcing change control
• Technical Foundation: Solid working knowledge of semiconductor, optical, or cryogenic test environments; a degree (Diploma, BSc, or higher) in physics, electrical engineering, photonics, mechatronics, or a related discipline. Deep hands-on photonic expertise is not required — the role is about leading skilled executors, not being the deepest expert in the room
• Process Authorship: Experience authoring and maintaining SOPs, work instructions, training programs, and qualification records for a technician team
• Safety Mindset: Demonstrated commitment to personnel safety, equipment protection, and risk mitigation in a lab setting
• Analytical Skills: Comfortable tracking KPIs (yield, throughput, uptime, OEE) and using data to drive prioritization and improvement
• Problem-Solving Ability: Calm and structured when acting as the first escalation point for hands-on issues; knows when to triage vs. when to call Engineering
• Talent Management: Track record of attracting, motivating, coaching, and retaining technical talent; experience building inclusive, high-performing teams from a mix of backgrounds and experience levels
• Stakeholder Management: Effective in working across Test Engineering, Device Engineering, Hardware, and Operations to align on station readiness, schedules, and deliverables
• Interpersonal Skills: Excellent interpersonal and written communication abilities; outstanding teamwork skills; able to translate technical direction into clear, actionable instructions for the team

WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH US

• Work closely with some of the brightest innovators in quantum technologies to drive breakthroughs that redefine computing
• Enjoy a fast-paced, collaborative environment where you can try new things while solving innovative challenges every day
• Inclusive company culture that values collaboration
• Regular social events and fun activities keep our global team connected
• Competitive compensation package including base salary, stock options, and relocation assistance for global talent
• Comprehensive benefits including extended health, dental, life, long-term disability, an employee assistance program, parental leave top-ups, and a flexible spending account

The base annual salary range for this full-time role is between $105,900 and $145, 600. This range reflects the minimum and maximum target range for new hire base salary across all Canadian locations. Actual compensation may vary outside of this range and is dependent on various factors including but not limited to a candidate's qualifications including relevant education and training, competencies, experience, geographic location, and business needs. Base pay is only one part of the total compensation package. Full time roles are eligible for equity and benefits. Base pay is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

The description above is what we think an ideal candidate would look like for this role. At Photonic, we understand that everyone has a different work and life journey. If you feel your experience is close to what we've described, but you might not meet all the requirements, please still apply!

While artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to assist in reviewing applicant profiles, they do not determine candidate outcomes. Our hiring decisions are made by people, not algorithms.

We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion.