Director Product Management

smartphotonics.nl; Eindhoven; Híbrido; EUR 120.000 - 170.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

SMART Photonics in Eindhoven, Netherlands, seeks a Director of Product Management to shape the InP photonics platform and translate market opportunities into a compelling product strategy. You will guide roadmaps, partner with R&D, and align cross-functional teams to stay ahead of market demands.

You will lead customer engagements, drive portfolio development, and ensure the platform evolves with coherent and IMDD architectures while supporting growth in telecom, datacom, LiDAR and biomedical

Formación

• Minimum 10 years of industry experience after PhD/Master in photonics or optical communications.
• Proven product management or leadership in high-tech/photonics environments.
• Direct experience with integrated photonics, preferably InP, in a photonics foundry or PIC products.
• Understanding of foundry business model, PDKs, and EPDA tools.
• Strong knowledge of optical communication systems including coherent and IMDD.
• Ability to translate customer needs into product strategy and roadmap.
• Proven track record leading cross-functional teams.
• Strategic vision, technical credibility, and commercial awareness.
• Strong communication and leadership; willingness to travel.

Responsabilidades

• Own and drive our product strategy and roadmap; translate market needs into priorities for our InP platform, process capabilities, PIC building blocks and PDKs.
• Lead product management; align product priorities, business objectives and technology development across the organisation.
• Work closely with our customers; understand their designs, system requirements and technical challenges, and identify where our platform can deliver value.
• Bridge optical communication requirements, including coherent and IMDD architectures, with practical foundry capabilities.
• Work with R&D, TCC and Engineering to define product requirements, assess technical trade-offs and focus development efforts.
• Bring customer insight, market knowledge and competitive analysis into product positioning and strategic decisions.
• Drive portfolio development and product lifecycle management, ensuring our capabilities remain competitive and relevant.
• Engage with established customers, prospective customers and ecosystem partners to identify opportunities and strengthen adoption of our platform.
• Build, develop and lead the product management team, creating a clear direction and fostering collaboration across functions.

Conocimientos

Product strategy

Roadmapping

Cross-functional leadership

Market analysis

Customer insights

Foundry business model

PDK knowledge

Strategic storytelling

Leadership

Educación

PhD/Master's in photonics or optical communications

Descripción del empleo

Shape the future of InP photonics through product leadership!

At SMART Photonics, we manufacture indium phosphide (InP) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for customers developing the next generation of optical technologies.

We are looking for an experienced Director of Product Management who understands the photonics industry, knows how to translate market opportunities into product strategy and can drive the development of a competitive foundry platform.

You bring substantial industry experience, ideally gained in a photonics foundry or at a company developing PIC-based products with a foundry partner. You understand customer needs, technology roadmaps and commercial opportunities, and know how to turn these insights into a clear product vision and strategy.

Working closely with customers, R&D, Engineering and Sales, you will lead our product management direction, define strategic priorities and ensure our InP platform continues to evolve in line with market demands.

Telecom and datacom are our primary growth markets. You will also help us identify and develop opportunities in applications such as LiDAR, sensing and biomedical technologies.

What you will do

• Own and drive our product strategy and roadmap; translate customer needs and market developments into priorities for our InP platform, process capabilities, PIC building blocks and PDKs.

• Lead product management; align product priorities, business objectives and technology development across the organisation.

• Work closely with our customers; understand their designs, system requirements and technical challenges, and identify where our platform can deliver value.

• Bridge optical communication requirements, including coherent and IMDD architectures, with practical foundry capabilities.

• Work with R&D, TCC and Engineering to define product requirements, assess technical trade-offs and focus development efforts.

• Bring customer insight, market knowledge and competitive analysis into product positioning and strategic decisions.

• Drive portfolio development and product lifecycle management, ensuring our capabilities remain competitive and relevant.

• Engage with established customers, prospective customers and ecosystem partners to identify opportunities and strengthen adoption of our platform.

• Build, develop and lead the product management team, creating a clear direction and fostering collaboration across functions.

• At least 10 years of relevant industrial experience after your PhD/Master's in photonics, semiconductor technology or optical communications. We are looking for demonstrated industry experience, not an academic research profile alone.

• Proven experience in product management or product leadership within a high-tech, semiconductor or photonics environment.

• Direct experience with integrated photonics, preferably InP, gained at a photonics foundry or a company designing and developing PIC-based products.

• A practical understanding of the foundry business model, PDKs, EPDA tools and the challenges of taking PIC designs from concept towards manufacturing.

• Strong knowledge of optical communication systems, ideally including coherent and IMDD architectures, and an understanding of their implications for PIC design and performance.

• Experience translating customer applications and market opportunities into product strategies, roadmaps and business priorities.

• A proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and influencing decisions across customers, engineering, R&D and commercial organisations.

• The strategic vision, technical credibility, judgement and commercial awareness to challenge assumptions, set priorities and drive results.

• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to bring people together around a shared product vision.

• Willingness to travel regularly to customers and partners.

• Experience in other PIC applications is welcome. Strategic leadership, industry knowledge and the ability to turn technology into market opportunities are more important than any specific academic background.

How we create a safe work environment together.

Security is a shared responsibility. At SMART Photonics, we are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace, where everyone is treated fairly. Together, we protect our people, information, technology, and operations. Every employee is expected to work responsibly by following approved procedures, using our systems and information with care, and speaking up when something doesn't seem right. By applying, you agree to uphold our security principles and Code of Conduct.