Head of Manafacturing Operations

About us:Salience Labs is building an industry-defining approach to optical circuit switching for AI infrastructure, engineered for real latency reduction and cost savings. We're moving towards real-world deployment, and joining at this stage means genuine ownership over that next chapter, working alongside a highly technical team on one of the most consequential problems in AI infrastructure today.The role: We are looking for a Head of Manufacturing Operations to take ownership of how our photonic hardware is built, tested and qualified. You will lead our manufacturing engineering activities and work closely with engineering, product, commercial and external manufacturing partners to make sure our products meet the standards required for AI datacentre deployment.This is a senior leadership role for someone with strong industrial experience in semiconductor or electronics manufacturing. You should be comfortable moving between technical detail, partner engagement, operational planning and clear communication with both engineering and commercial stakeholders.You will also work directly with external manufacturing and test partners, guiding their activities, reviewing results and ensuring the quality of what they deliver meets the requirements for commercial deployment.Set the direction and priorities for manufacturing operations and align them with company product and commercial goalsLead and develop an engineering team, setting clear expectations and accountabilityManage relationships with external suppliers and manufacturing partners, including performance, escalation and corrective actionsOversee packaging, assembly and test activities for photonic hardwareEnsure appropriate reliability, qualification and quality processes are in placeDrive improvements in yield, performance and costWork with engineering teams to ensure manufacturability, testability and reliability are considered throughout product developmentCollaborate with product and commercial teams to ensur