AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. The OLIX Decode Accelerator 1 (DX-1) is the first accelerator architected specifically for decode. Rack-scale co-design of logic, data movement, packaging, optics and interconnect enables a step change in system level performance.
We are looking for a Senior Assembly Manufacturing Engineer to own our front-end packaging processes as we push from prototype into production. This role is about making things real. You will define and own substrate-level assembly processes, including flip-chip bonding, underfill, reflow, and inspection, and serve as the engineering interface with the contract manufacturers who will build our hardware at scale.
You will set standards, drive DFM and DFA initiatives with our engineering teams, and ensure every process is well defined, documented, and ready for volume production. You have personally built and scaled front-end packaging processes and understand that the difference between a good process and a great one is in the details. You will drive yield improvements and continuously optimize manufacturing performance. You get energy from solving hard problems on the factory floor, not just writing about them.
Assembly Process Engineering & NPI
Define and own assembly processes for complex electro-mechanical and opto-electronic module hardware, from early prototype builds through NPI and into production Create and maintain manufacturing documentation including assembly instructions, work standards, process flows, and build records Drive DFM/DFA reviews with engineering teams to ensure designs are practical, repeatable, and cost-effective to buildOwn assembly processes for substrate-level flip-chip bonding (FCB), including attach, reflow, underfill, and inspection steps, ensuring process stability and yield from prototype through production Develop and improve tooling, fixtures, jigs, and build aids to support consistent, high-quality assembly Establish build readiness criteria and lead structured handover from engineering into manufacturing Support NPI builds and pilot production, capturing lessons learned and feeding improvements back into design and process definition
Production Support & Ramp
Support production ramp planning and readiness reviews, ensuring assembly capacity, tooling, documentation, and operator training are in place ahead of volume milestones Monitor production quality and yield, leading root cause analysis and corrective actions for recurring assembly and integration issues Drive continuous improvement across safety, quality, cost, throughput, and cycle time Partner with test and quality teams to ensure assembly processes support efficient bring-up, inspection, and validation at module level Maintain clear visibility of production issues and escalate or resolve blockers in a timely manner
Photonics Integration
Support manufacturing processes for alignment-critical integration steps, working closely with the optics/photonics engineering team who hold technical ownership Implement and maintain cleanliness, handling, and ESD controls relevant to opto-electronic assembly Contribute to in-line verification approaches and integration sequencing for optical sub-assemblies Flag manufacturability risks in photonics-related designs early and feed practical assembly constraints back to the engineering team
Contract Manufacturer & External Partner Management
Act as the primary manufacturing engineering interface with contract manufacturers and external assembly partners Define and communicate build standards, quality expectations, and process controls to CMs; audit and monitor compliance on an ongoing basis Manage component and sub-assembly readiness with supply chain and CM partners to support build schedules Lead technical reviews and engineering queries with CMs, ensuring alignment on process changes, non-conformances, and corrective actions Evaluate CM capability gaps and work with operations leadership to address them through training, process improvement, or sourcing decisions
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with mechanical, electrical, optics/photonics, test, and systems engineers throughout the product development cycle to ensure designs are assembly-ready Provide manufacturing input early in design reviews to reduce downstream risk and avoid late-stage redesign Collaborate with supply chain on component readiness, lead times, and manufacturability constraints Represent manufacturing operations in cross-functional programme reviews and escalation forums
8+ years of experience in manufacturing, assembly engineering, industrialisation, or production engineering in complex hardware environments
Strong hands-on experience with precision assembly and integration for advanced electro-mechanical or opto-electronic hardware products
Proven experience owning and improving assembly processes across prototype, NPI, and early production ramp environments Experience with substrate-level or package-level assembly, including flip-chip bonding processes (attach, reflow, underfill, inspection)
Solid understanding of DFM/DFA principles and the ability to translate engineering designs into robust, repeatable manufacturing processes
Experience creating and maintaining manufacturing documentation — work instructions,
SOPs, process flows, BoMs, and build records
Hands-on experience with tooling, fixtures, jigs, and line setup for precision assembly operations
Strong problem-solving capability with a track record in root cause analysis, yield improvement, and corrective action
Competitive Salary, commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.
Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.
Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a £24k annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.
Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible.
