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OLIX is building the next generation of AI infrastructure through novel optical computing technology. As a fabless semiconductor company, OLIX is designing the Decode Accelerator 1 (DX-1), a specialized chip architecture for AI workloads. This is a founding Director of Quality role reporting into leadership during a critical phase: transitioning from development to production and tape-out.
Quality at OLIX is positioned as a strategic pillar, not a support function. You will build the Quality Management System from scratch, targeting ISO 9001 certification and establishing the rigor required by world-class customers and partners while maintaining the pace needed for a fast-moving startup. Your scope spans the entire product lifecycle and manufacturing ecosystem.
Key responsibilities include: designing and implementing OLIX's Quality Management System with policies, procedures, metrics, document control, and CAPA processes; establishing quality gates from design sign-off through tape-out, manufacturing, test, and field deployment; building a quality culture embedded across engineering and operations teams.
You will own supplier and partner quality across OLIX's global manufacturing network—foundries, OSATs, contract manufacturers, and component suppliers. This includes supplier qualification, audits, corrective action programs, incoming inspection criteria, and approved supplier list management to tier-1 customer standards.
Product qualification and reliability are core: you will own qualification strategy for silicon, optical components, modules, and systems using JEDEC and Telcordia standards; lead Design for Reliability reviews; establish failure analysis and FRACAS processes; and drive yield and defect improvement programs using SPC, FMEA, 8D, and DOE methodologies.
You will also establish manufacturing quality systems with partners, define compliance requirements for OLIX's internal cleanroom and pilot capability, own field quality and fleet reliability metrics for deployed systems, and ensure regulatory compliance (CE/UKCA, IEC 62368-1, IEC 60825, EMC, RoHS, REACH, conflict minerals, Cyber Resilience Act).
Required: 12+ years in Quality Engineering or Quality Management in semiconductor, photonics, electronics, or advanced manufacturing; at least 5 years leading teams; demonstrated experience building a QMS from scratch in a fabless or early-stage environment and scaling through NPI into volume production; deep supplier quality expertise with foundries and OSATs; strong grounding in semiconductor and optoelectronic qualification standards; hands-on proficiency with SPC, FMEA, PFMEA, control plans, 8D, DOE, CAPA; experience leading product compliance and certification (CE/UKCA, safety, EMC); comfort operating hands-on in a fast-moving, pre-scale environment.
