Industrialisation Project Manager

LIGENTEC; Ecublens; On-site; CHF 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Ligentec in Lausanne/Ecublens, Switzerland, seeks an Industrialisation Project Manager to scale the Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) platform to high-volume manufacturing. You will bridge R&D, process engineering, external foundries, and leadership to deliver robust, high-yield processes for global markets.

You’ll own NPI roadmaps, establish PMO best practices, and drive quality and manufacturing standards across teams. Fluent English is required; knowledge of French is a plus.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Photonics, Microelectronics, Semiconductor Physics, Materials Science, or related engineering discipline.
• Experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), yield ramp-up, and wafer-level fabrication scaling; automotive/industrial semiconductor quality standards are a plus.
• PMP, Prince2, or Agile certification is a plus; ability to manage multi-stakeholder hardware and process development initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead TFLN Scale-Up & NPI initiatives from pilot to high-volume wafer-scale manufacturing.
• Define scope, budget, milestones, and critical-path schedules; mitigate technical bottlenecks.
• Manage external foundries, supply chain partners, and equipment vendors; write SOWs and conduct audits.
• Serve as the main communication bridge across R&D, process engineering, operations, and executive leadership.
• Institutionalize PMO methodologies, stage-gate reviews, and KPI dashboards; integrate quality standards.

Skills

NPI

Project management

Stakeholder management

Vendor management

Communication

Agile / PMP / Prince2

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree

PhD

Photonics

Microelectronics

Semiconductor Physics

Tools

MS Office

Project management software

Job description

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.

If you have any questions, reach out to Manal Mohamed, HR Business Partner, at [e-mail]