Senior Assembly Manufacturing Engineer

About OLIX 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. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

Role OLIX is building a new class of optical compute hardware that makes the performance of existing AI chips look tame. 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 - flip-chip bonding, underfill, reflow, inspection - and be the engineering interface with the contract manufacturers who will build our hardware at scale. You will set the standards, drive DFM/DFA with our engineering teams, and make sure every process is tight, documented, and ready for volume. You have personally built and scaled front end packaging processes - you will drive yield improvements and that the difference between a good process and a bad one is in the details. You get energy from solving hard problems on the factory floor, not just writing about them.

Responsibilities

• 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 build.
• Own 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills & Experience Required

• 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.

Compensation & Equity

• Competitive Salary: £109,000, commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.
• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options.
• Proximity Bonus: £24k annual Living‑Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.

Health & Wellbeing

• Premium Healthcare: Comprehensive BUPA medical and dental cover.
• Time Off: 25 days of annual leave, plus all UK bank holidays.

The Workspace & Tech

• Elite Hardware: M4 Macs come as standard, with M4 Pro upgrades for our engineering team.
• Optimal Environment: High‑spec noise‑cancelling headphones and a fully ergonomic workstation designed for deep focus.
• Rapid Prototyping: Access to our high‑performance 3D printing lab for work, experimentation, and personal creative projects.

Life at the Office

• Chef‑prepared meals if you need to work late.
• Caffeine on Us: We’ve got you covered with a tab at our favourite local coffee shop.

Relocation & Global Mobility

• Visa Sponsorship: We hire the best in the world.
• Seamless Relocation: Our dedicated relocation partner provides funding and concierge support to get you settled.