Vice President of Business Development

Silith; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Silith, a fabless chip design company, is seeking a VP of Business Development in Santa Clara, CA. This executive will secure hyperscale and semiconductor partnerships and lead CSP Accounts, Semi Partnerships, and Standards & Consortiums teams, reporting to the CRO.

You will collaborate with Global Marketing to accelerate design wins, drive ecosystem engagement with AWS, Google, Azure, Meta, and OEMs, and shape industry roadmaps through OIF, IEEE, OCP, and Optica.

Qualifications

• 15+ years leading BD or strategic partnerships in semiconductors, silicon photonics, or AI interconnects.
• Direct track record of managing relationships with major CSPs (AWS, Google, Azure, Meta) and semiconductor ecosystems.
• Executive presence with proven success representing organizations within standards bodies (OIF, IEEE, OCP, Optica).
• Cross-functional alignment with Sales, Global Marketing, and Product Engineering.
• MBA or advanced technical degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• CSP Alignment: Direct executive relationships with hyperscalers to secure design-ins and move platforms from evaluation into qualification and production.
• Semi & Ecosystem Acquisition: Build strategic alliances across semiconductor OEMs and optical partners to embed Silith technology into next-generation AI architecture.
• Standards Leadership: Drive active participation in OIF, IEEE, OCP, and Optica consortiums to influence industry roadmaps and align product strategies.
• Marketing Interlock: Partner with Global Marketing on joint GTM strategies, thought leadership, customer briefings, and major industry events.

Skills

BD leadership

Semiconductor partnerships

Silicon photonics

Executive communication

Ecosystem engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics

MBA or advanced technical degree preferred

Job description

Silith is a fabless chip design company, established in 2021, developing silicon photonics interconnect solutions for the world's leading AI hyperscalers, semiconductor companies, and transceiver companies. Our technology helps build the AI data centers of tomorrow, with a product portfolio spanning scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across interconnects. As we grow our presence and build out our commercial organization, we're looking for people who want to help bring this technology to the world's most demanding infrastructure.

Position Summary

The VP, Business Development will secure the hyperscale, semiconductor, and ecosystem partnerships required to get Silith engineered into next-gen AI infrastructure. Reporting directly to the CRO, this role leads the CSP Accounts, Semi Partnerships, and Standards & Consortiums teams while working in tight interlock with Global Marketing to accelerate market penetration and design wins.

Core Subgroup Leadership

• CSP Accounts: Own direct relationships with tier-1 cloud service providers- including AWS, Google, Azure, Meta, and their ecosystem partners- to drive platform adoption.
• Semi Partnerships: Lead engagement with key semiconductor OEMs and silicon ecosystems to integrate Silith's photonic engines into broader compute platforms.
• Standards & Consortiums: Represent Silith within major industry standards bodies (OIF, IEEE, OCP, Optica) to shape emerging specifications and reinforce technical leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• CSP Alignment: Direct executive relationships with hyperscalers to secure design-ins and move platforms from evaluation into qualification and production.
• Semi & Ecosystem Acquisition: Build strategic alliances across semiconductor OEMs and optical partners to embed Silith technology into next-generation AI architecture.
• Standards Leadership: Drive active participation in OIF, IEEE, OCP, and Optica consortiums to influence industry roadmaps and align product strategies.
• Marketing Interlock: Partner closely with the VP of Global Marketing on joint GTM strategies, thought leadership, customer briefings, and major industry events (OFC, ECOC, OCP)

Qualifications

• Experience: 15+ years leading BD or strategic partnerships in semiconductors, silicon photonics, or AI interconnects.
• Track Record: Direct track record of managing relationships with major CSPs (AWS, Google, Azure, Meta) and semiconductor ecosystems.
• Ecosystem Presence: Executive presence with proven success representing organizations within standards bodies (OIF, IEEE, OCP, Optica).
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Strong alignment with cross-functional leadership spanning Sales, Global Marketing, and Product Engineering.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Physics, or related field; MBA or advanced technical degree preferred.