Senior Supply Chain Lead, Photonics & Semiconductors

OpenLight Photonics Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenLight Photonics Inc. is seeking a seasoned Supply Chain Manager to drive and scale operations as we ramp manufacturing in a fast-growing silicon photonics company. You will own supplier relationships across EPI, Fab, OSAT, dicing, bumping, and PCB assembly, ensuring on-time delivery and cost efficiency.

You will collaborate with engineering, PM, and executives to align forecasts with roadmaps, identify risks, and implement mitigation plans for a high-growth environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of supply chain or operations experience in a semiconductor or photonics environment.
• Familiarity with wafer fabrication, epitaxial growth, or compound semiconductor manufacturing.
• Experience managing backend processes (OSAT, dicing, bumping).
• Strong communication and negotiation skills; comfortable engaging with supplier engineering and commercial teams.
• Ability to manage multiple suppliers and programs simultaneously in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically or internationally, about once a quarter.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end supplier relationships across epitaxial growth (EPI), wafer fabrication (Fab), and backend processes including OSATs, bumping, and dicing, as well as PCB manufacturers, packaging and assembly houses.
• Manage purchase orders, lead times, and capacity allocations with key suppliers.
• Work with product management and sales to understand demand, forecast and lead time requirements from customers.
• Develop and maintain supply forecasts aligned with engineering roadmaps and production ramp plans.
• Proactively identify supply risks and drive mitigation strategies.
• Negotiate pricing, MOQs, and contractual terms with suppliers.
• Conduct quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with strategic suppliers, tracking quality metrics, delivery performance, and cost.
• Coordinate new supplier qualification in collaboration with process and quality engineering teams.
• Maintain accurate supply chain data including forecasts, commitments, and inventory levels.
• Support engineering teams on material availability for R&D and pilot production runs.
• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance and supply chain processes.

Skills

Supplier management

Negotiation

Communication

Forecasting

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk mitigation

Travel willingness

Engineering familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Supply Chain

Tools

Arena

ERP systems

Job description

The Role

OpenLight, a fast-growing silicon photonics company, is seeking an experienced Supply Chain Manager to drive and scale our operations as we enter a new phase of our business. OpenLight is a well-funded privately held company with a mission to bring the benefits of Heterogeneous Integration to the market and has customers in a range of industries including AI and datacom, machine vision and LIDAR. As we expand our operations to meet unprecedented demand, this role will be central to enable our manufacturing ramp in a high growth market and will work closely with engineering, program management, and executive leadership to ensure continuity and quality across our supplier base.

What You Will Do

• Own end-to-end supplier relationships across epitaxial growth (EPI), wafer fabrication (Fab), and backend processes including OSATs, bumping, and dicing, as well as PCB manufacturers, packaging and assembly houses

• Manage purchase orders, lead times, and capacity allocations with key suppliers

• Work with product management and sales to understand demand, forecast and lead time requirements from customers

• Develop and maintain supply forecasts aligned with engineering roadmaps and production ramp plans

• Proactively identify supply risks and drive mitigation strategies

• Negotiate pricing, MOQs, and contractual terms with suppliers

• Conduct quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with strategic suppliers, tracking quality metrics, delivery performance, and cost

• Coordinate new supplier qualification in collaboration with process and quality engineering teams

• Maintain accurate supply chain data including forecasts, commitments, and inventory levels

• Support engineering teams on material availability for R&D and pilot production runs

• Drive continuous improvement in supplier performance and supply chain processes

Your Background Includes

• Minimum 10 years of supply chain or operations experience in a semiconductor or photonics environment

• Familiarity with wafer fabrication, epitaxial growth, or compound semiconductor manufacturing

• Experience managing backend processes (OSAT, dicing, bumping)

• Strong communication and negotiation skills; comfortable engaging directly with supplier engineering and commercial teams

• Ability to manage multiple suppliers and programs simultaneously in a fast-paced startup environment

• Proficiency with Arena or supply chain management tools

• Willingness and ability to travel, domestically or internationally, about once a quarter

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus

About OpenLight

OpenLight is growing as customer adoption and industry momentum continue to accelerate. The rapid growth of AI and cloud infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for faster, more energy-efficient optical connectivity. We are addressing this challenge through a platform approach that simplifies the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and accelerates industry adoption.

As part of our team, you will contribute to technologies that enable AI and hyperscale data centers, high-speed optical communications, advanced sensing applications, next-generation photonic integration, and more. Our team is collaborative and fast-moving, and you will have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions across technology, operations, and business growth.

If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.