Technical Program Manager

OpenLight Photonics Inc.; Goleta (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

401k matching

Unlimited vacation

Hybrid schedule

Job summary

OpenLight Photonics Inc. in Goleta, CA is seeking a Technical Project/Program Manager to coordinate cross-functional engineering and supplier programs, driving execution from planning through qualification and production.

You will work with engineering, operations, product management, and customers to define plans, track deliverables, and manage risks for on-schedule, high-quality outcomes in a fast-growing photonics environment.

Qualifications

• Experience coordinating cross-functional engineering, operations, or manufacturing teams.
• Understanding of hardware product development and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to manage schedules, risks, and deliverables across programs.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate multiple technical projects and programs from planning through completion.
• Define objectives, milestones, deliverables, schedules, and resource needs with stakeholders.
• Develop detailed schedules with dependencies and critical paths.
• Track progress, risks, and mitigation plans; run regular milestone reviews.
• Document decisions, owners, and due dates; ensure follow-through.
• Collaborate with wafer processing, PIC design, layout, testing, and qualification teams.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Technical leadership

Strong communication

Hardware product development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Project

Jira

Smartsheet

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Role

This is an opportunity to contribute to high-impact technical programs at an important stage in OpenLight's growth. You will work with multidisciplinary engineering teams and industry partners to help bring advanced silicon photonics technologies from development through qualification and production. The role provides broad exposure across engineering, operations, customers, and suppliers, along with the opportunity to improve how complex technical programs are planned and executed.

OpenLight, a fast-growing silicon photonics company, is seeking a Technical Project/Program Manager to coordinate and drive the execution of cross-functional engineering and customer programs. We are 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, this role will work closely with engineering, operations, product management, business development, and external suppliers to develop project plans, track deliverables, identify risks, and ensure programs meet their technical, schedule, quality, and budget objectives. Your strong technical foundation in the semiconductor (or related) industry, working with multidisciplinary engineering teams, and proactive, organized communication of project statuses, risks, and priorities for to technical and non-technical stakeholders will put you at the front of the line for this role.

What You Will Do

• Coordinate multiple technical projects and programs from planning through completion




• Work with engineering and business stakeholders to define project objectives, requirements, milestones, deliverables, schedules, and resource needs




• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, including dependencies, critical paths, and key decision points




• Track project progress and proactively identify schedule, technical, resource, and supplier risks




• Coordinate risk mitigation and recovery plans with project leads and cross-functional teams




• Facilitate regular project meetings, milestone reviews, and technical discussions




• Document decisions, action items, owners, and due dates, and ensure timely follow-through




• Coordinate activities across multidisciplinary teams, including wafer processing, photonic device and PIC design, layout, PDK, systems engineering, test, reliability, and qualification




• Own and / or support projects and work-in-progress involving external suppliers and manufacturing partners, including foundries, material suppliers, PCB fabrication and assembly vendors, packaging houses, and test facilities




• Maintain accurate and current project documentation, dashboards, schedules, and status reports




• Prepare concise program updates for management, highlighting progress, risks, decisions, and required support




• Work closely with product management, business development, sales, operations, and engineering to align project execution with customer and business priorities




• Help establish and improve project management processes, tools, templates, and workflows

Your Background Includes

• Experience working with cross-functional engineering, operations, or manufacturing teams




• Understanding of semiconductor, photonics, electronics, or other hardware product development and manufacturing processes




• Ability to develop and manage project schedules, risks, action items, dependencies, and deliverables




• Support continuous improvement by capturing project lessons learned and applying them to future programs Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment




• Strong problem-solving, written communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills




• Ability to communicate effectively with engineers, suppliers, customers, and business stakeholders




• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, Jira, Smartsheet, or similar platforms




• Proactive and collaborative working style, with a strong sense of ownership and urgency




• Ability to balance technical scope, schedule, quality, resources, and cost when supporting project decisions




• Familiarity with hardware development lifecycles, engineering qualification, reliability testing, and manufacturing ramp activities




• Experience coordinating projects with external foundries, suppliers, or manufacturing partners




• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline; an advanced degree is a plus




• 5+ years of relevant professional experience, including experience managing or coordinating technical engineering projects




• Experience in silicon photonics, semiconductor wafer fabrication, photonic integrated circuits, optoelectronics, or advanced packaging




• Willingness and ability to travel domestically or internationally as business needs require (approximately 10%, based on your work location)

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.

OpenLight continues with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.

OpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $140,000-$240,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. 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.