Head of Quality

Ignite Next GmbH; Bergen; On-site; NOK 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation + equity

International team

Relocation support

Immigration support

Room to influence work culture

Job summary

Lace Lithography in Bergen is seeking a Head of Quality to lead the Quality function as the company scales. You will embed pragmatic QA controls into development and delivery of semiconductor equipment, build a lean QMS, and partner with Engineering, Supply Chain and Operations.

The role reports to the VP of Operations and sits on the Operations leadership team; you’ll drive product quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across development and field deployments, with a hands-on, leadership

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Quality, Product Assurance or Manufacturing Quality within complex equipment.
• Experience with low-volume, high-complexity equipment and multidisciplinary engineering.
• Proven track record establishing or improving quality management systems and supplier quality.
• Experience integrating product safety and regulatory requirements into development and release.
• Ability to lead across disciplines and build capabilities without being deepest expert.
• Hands-on leadership style, building processes before a dedicated team exists.
• Fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Lead and build the Quality function.
• Establish QMS covering document control, nonconformances, corrective actions, audits and relevant certification requirements.
• Define quality criteria and verification activities with Engineering.
• Set supplier quality requirements and incoming inspection.
• Define manufacturing and acceptance quality checkpoints and release criteria.
• Integrate risk assessments, safety documentation and CE/SEMI requirements.
• Drive field issues into product design and supplier performance.

Skills

Quality leadership

Quality management systems

Supplier quality

Product safety & regulatory

Cross-disciplinary leadership

Hands-on leadership

Fluent English

Job description

At Lace Lithography, we’re scaling up our team and looking for a passionate and sharp Head of Quality to join us in Bergen. In our company we build chip lithography technology that will enable the next 100 years of chip manufacturing. Founded in 2023, we’re based in Bergen (Norway) and Barcelona (Spain), and backed by some of the world’s most ambitious investors.

The role

We are moving from prototype tools to equipment deployed at customer sites. As the technology advances, another challenge becomes just as decisive: machines that can be built consistently, operated safely, and relied on in the field.

That is what you will make possible. Not by transplanting a large-company quality system into a startup, but by embedding the controls that matter into how we develop and deliver equipment.

You will build and lead our Quality function, and report to the VP of Operations and join the Operations leadership team.

What you will own

• Quality management system — establish a pragmatic, scalable QMS covering document control, nonconformances, corrective actions, audits and relevant certification requirements.

• Product quality — work with Engineering to establish measurable quality criteria, verification activities and acceptance standards throughout development.

• Supplier quality — establish supplier quality requirements, qualification, assessments, incoming inspection and corrective action processes together with Supply Chain and Engineering.

• Manufacturing and acceptance quality — define checkpoints, traceability, verification and release criteria for assembly, integration and testing, including authority to withhold quality approval when critical requirements are not met.

• Product safety and compliance — integrate risk assessments, safety documentation and applicable CE and SEMI requirements into equipment development and release.

• Customer quality — ensure field issues drive lasting improvements in product design, supplier performance and subsequent equipment builds.

• Team — build a lean, effective Quality organization as the company scales.

What you bring

• Substantial experience (typically ten years or more) in Quality, Product Assurance or Manufacturing Quality within complex technical equipment.

• Experience with low-volume, high-complexity equipment involving multidisciplinary engineering and demanding performance requirements.

• A track record of establishing or improving quality management systems, with strong practical knowledge of product and supplier quality, root-cause analysis and corrective action.

• Experience integrating product safety and regulatory compliance requirements into equipment development and release, working with Engineering and specialist experts.

• The ability to lead across disciplines, establish accountability and build capabilities without being the deepest technical expert in every area.

• A hands-on leadership style, comfortable building processes and solving problems before a dedicated team exists.

• Fluent English.

Experience in semiconductor equipment or adjacent precision industries, prototype-to-production transitions, ISO 9001, CE/SEMI compliance, PLM or European occupational HSE is an advantage, not a requirement.

How you work

• You know the difference between a quality system that looks good on paper and one that helps an engineering organization deliver better equipment.

• You are comfortable with evolving designs and priorities.

• You know when formal controls are essential and when flexibility matters.

• You challenge decisions constructively, make risks visible and find practical ways forward.

• You understand that quality belongs to everyone.

• Your role is to build the framework, capability and accountability that make it work.

What we offer

• The opportunity to build and lead a critical function in a pioneering semiconductor technology company.

• A seat on the Operations leadership team, with real influence on how we industrialise and deliver equipment.

• Competitive compensation, including equity through our share incentive plan.

• An international, highly technical team with room to shape how we work.

• Relocation and immigration support, alongside our company benefits.

The role is based in Bergen, where our equipment is integrated, assembled and tested. Regular travel to suppliers, other Lace sites and customers is expected, primarily within Europe.

Lace Lithography is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications regardless of background.

Our team here at Lace:

…consists of amazing people who’ve joined us from all over the world, driven by intense curiosity, the urge for exploration, and a desire to push the limits of physics. We promise to offer you a place among highly motivated Lacers, present you with extremely difficult problems—and have a lot of fun solving them.

Workplace & culture:

Lace operates out of two beautiful, vibrant, and strong-willed cities. Although we are cities apart, we strive to make the team feel as one.

We don’t define values—but we have one universal expectation:
Be the best team player you can be.

Perks and Benefits:

• Part of the team, part of the company Competitive salary + equity through our incentive plan.
• Feel‑good perks €50 monthly gym allowance, weekly team lunches, monthly social events, and annual off‑site with the whole team.
• Personal Development Quarterly development goals with your manager and your own budget to learn and grow.
• No journey without travelling We support relocation and immigration to make joining Lace as smooth as possible.