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Approach Venture · 23 hours ago

Supplier Development Engineer - Advanced Photonics & Precision Manufacturing

El Segundo, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid Level

$120K/yr - $180K/yr

3+ years exp

Approach Venture is a fast-growing, venture-backed hardware company focused on building next-generation optical and photonic systems. The Supplier Development Engineer will play a critical role in executing a supply chain roadmap, ensuring timelines, quality, and process readiness are met through hands-on engagement with suppliers.

Management Consulting

Hiring Manager

Torey Bell

Responsibilities

Execute supplier development activities tied to an aggressive manufacturing and supply chain timeline, with near-term milestones requiring immediate focus

Identify, evaluate, and onboard new suppliers, processes, and equipment capable of supporting advanced photonic and optical hardware

Work directly with silicon photonics and wafer processing vendors to ensure on-time delivery, yield improvement, and process stability

Travel extensively to supplier sites, including Europe and the Bay Area, to drive execution, resolve issues, and accelerate readiness

Develop and qualify suppliers producing components with sub-micron tolerances and demanding optical, thermal, and reliability requirements

Partner with suppliers to define process flows, quality standards, inspection methods, and in-line controls

Lead supplier-side investigations related to yield, reliability, and performance, coordinating corrective actions and continuous improvement

Collaborate cross-functionally with internal engineering and manufacturing teams to align supplier capabilities with product requirements

Qualification

Mechanical EngineeringManufacturing ProcessesPhotonicsSupplier DevelopmentProcess EngineeringGD&TCollaborationProblem SolvingAdaptability

Required

Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, or a closely related technical field

Strong foundational knowledge in mechanical engineering, manufacturing processes, semiconductors, or photonics

3+ years of experience working with external vendors, suppliers, or manufacturing partners, or a demonstrated ability to ramp quickly in supplier-facing roles

Comfortable operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments where priorities evolve rapidly