Lead Data Platform Engineer

LIGENTEC; Ecublens; Hybrid; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ligentec, Lausanne, Switzerland, seeks a Lead Data Platform Engineer to architect and scale enterprise data infrastructure. You will bridge data engineering, backend services, and DevOps, delivering secure APIs and data dashboards while defining the technology roadmap for integration of operational, fab, and quality analytics.

You will lead cross-functional teams, implement AI-driven tooling, and drive architectural decisions across the data stack, ensuring scalable, reliable data contracts with

Qualifications

• Senior or Lead level with ownership over complete data platform architectures and end-to-end data pipelines in production.
• Proficient with Python and modern ETL/ELT pipelines and analytical databases.
• Experience building secure backend services and APIs with FastAPI.
• Strong DevOps foundation: containerization (Docker/Docker Swarm) and CI/CD with GitLab.
• Familiar with AI-assisted tooling and modern dashboarding platforms to speed up engineering workflows.
• Ability to lead roadmaps and collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and optimize scalable ETL/ELT pipelines and a central data lakehouse.
• Design, build, and maintain production-grade internal data applications and REST APIs using Python and FastAPI.
• Oversee deployment and administration of Docker Swarm and PostgreSQL databases; manage GitLab CI/CD pipelines.

Skills

Python

ETL/ELT

Airflow

Dagster

Prefect

PostgreSQL

DuckDB

FastAPI

Docker Swarm

GitLab

AI tooling

Dashboarding

Tools

Docker Swarm

GitLab

PostgreSQL

DuckDB

FastAPI

Airflow

Dagster

Prefect

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 a Lead Data Platform Engineer, you will drive the architecture, development, and scaling of LIGENTEC's enterprise data platform and champion software engineering excellence across the organization. Bridging modern data engineering, full-stack application design, and automated DevOps workflows, you will own the end-to-end data infrastructure that connects operational, foundry, and quality analytics. In this high-impact technical leadership position, you will define the technology roadmap, deploy modern data and AI-driven tooling, and empower interdisciplinary teams to transform complex semiconductor and photonics data into scalable business intelligence.

Key Responsibilities

• Data Architecture & Lakehouse Engineering: Architect, build, and optimize scalable ETL/ELT pipelines and our central data lakehouse; ensure seamless integration of operational, fab, and product quality datasets across cross-functional engineering teams.
• Internal Data Apps & Backend Services: Design, build, and maintain production-grade, secure full-stack internal data applications and REST APIs using Python and FastAPI.
• DevOps, Infrastructure & Database Management: Oversee application deployment using Docker Swarm and administer/tune scalable PostgreSQL database servers. Own company-wide GitLab CI/CD pipelines, security configurations, and modern developer infrastructure.
• Technical Leadership & Strategic Roadmap: Define and execute the roadmap for enterprise data and automation initiatives; establish reliable data contracts with external partners and align long-term infrastructure scaling in close partnership with IT.
• Software Standardization & Developer Experience: Elevate software craftsmanship and developer velocity across the company by setting coding guidelines, managing the developer handbook, and standardizing project templates.
• Modern Tooling & AI-Assisted Workflows: Deploy, support, and scale business dashboarding solutions, process automation initiatives, and next-generation developer tooling, including AI-assisted agentic coding workflows and internal AI documentation systems.

What You Bring

• Proven Track Record: Solid background operating at a Senior or Lead level, with demonstrable ownership over complete data platform architectures and end-to-end data pipelines in production environments.
• Core Engineering & Data Stack: Advanced proficiency in Python, modern ETL/ELT pipeline orchestrators (Airflow, Dagster, Prefect, or similar), and analytical databases (PostgreSQL, DuckDB).
• API & Backend Development: Hands-on experience developing robust, secure backend services and APIs with FastAPI (full-stack or front-end UI experience for data tools is a strong plus).
• DevOps & Cloud/Containerization: Strong foundation in containerization (Docker, Docker Swarm), database administration/scaling for PostgreSQL, and automated CI/CD workflows using GitLab.
• Modern Developer Tools & AI: Hands-on experience utilizing and deploying AI agentic coding tools, LLM-based documentation servers, and modern dashboarding platforms to accelerate engineering workflows.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Proven capability in leading technical roadmaps, mentoring fellow engineers, driving software quality standards, and partnering effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.

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, Switzerland.

Work percentage: 100%.

Languages: English is our working language, other languages are a plus.

Home office: up to two days per week.

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]