Ayar Labs · 4 hours ago
Director, Quality - Semiconductors
San Jose, CA
Contract
Onsite
Director/Executive
$180K/yr - $230K/yr
12+ years expAyar Labs is seeking a strategic and technical Director of Quality to lead our global quality organization. The role focuses on managing the Quality Management System (QMS) and ensuring compliance with established standards across external partners in the semiconductor industry.
AI InfrastructureArtificial Intelligence (AI)ComputerHardwareInformation TechnologySemiconductor
Responsibilities
QMS Stewardship & Continuous Improvement
System Optimization: Own and evolve the existing Ayar Labs QMS (ISO 9001 based). Continually refine SOPs and Work Instructions to eliminate bottlenecks and reflect the increasing complexity of optical-semiconductor integration
Internal & External Audit Program: Lead the annual audit calendar. Conduct internal process audits and external supplier audits to ensure the QMS is being followed "on the floor" and not just on paper
Corrective & Preventive Action (CAPA): Manage the high-level CAPA system. Analyze trends across the QMS to identify systemic weaknesses and drive cross-functional projects to resolve them
Management Review: Lead regular Quality Management Reviews (QMR) with the executive team, providing data-driven insights into the health of the QMS and our quality posture
Development Gate & Risk Management
PDP Gatekeeper: Own the "Stage-Gate" process for all hardware and software products. Ensure that no product moves from R&D to production without meeting the maturity metrics defined in our QMS
FMEA Leadership: Drive comprehensive DFMEA (Design) and PFMEA (Process) sessions. Ensure that risk mitigation strategies are documented and traceable within the QMS framework
CM & Supplier Quality Management
Supplier Governance: Ensure all external partners (Foundries, OSATs, CMs) are onboarded and managed according to QMS requirements
IQC/OQC Strategy: Define and enforce Incoming/Outgoing Quality Control requirements. This includes setting inspection criteria for high-precision optical components and establishing "Golden Unit" benchmarks
8D/SCAR Management: Hold partners accountable for the 8D process. Use the QMS to track Supplier Corrective Action Reports (SCAR) and ensure permanent systemic fixes are implemented at partner sites
Ongoing Quality Measures & Monitoring
Yield & SPC Monitoring: Establish real-time data hooks into our partners. Monitor Statistical Process Control (SPC) and First Pass Yield (FPY) to proactively identify trends before they become field issues
On-site Oversight: Manage a schedule of periodic business reviews (QBRs) and "spot-checks" at partner sites to ensure strict adherence to the Ayar Labs Quality Manual
Software & Firmware Quality
SQA Ecosystem: Maintain quality gates for firmware and software stacks. Ensure software release processes are integrated into the broader QMS for full hardware-software traceability
Qualification
Required
12+ years in Quality Engineering/Operations, with 5+ years in a senior leadership role in the semiconductor and/or electronics industries
Deep experience managing and auditing an established QMS (ISO 9001 or IATF 16949)
Experience with Quality Management Software (e.g., Arena, Propel, or ETQ) is highly preferred
Deep experience managing quality through External Foundries, OSATs, and Tier 1 Contract Manufacturers
Strong understanding of Semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging
Familiarity with Photonics or Laser Module assembly (ELSFP) and high-precision alignment
Knowledge of Software Quality Assurance for embedded systems
BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Optical Sciences, Physics, or a related technical discipline
Company
Ayar Labs
Ayar Labs develops optical I/O solutions for large-scale AI workloads to accelerate data movement within AI systems.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Ayar Labs has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (14)
2024 (2)
2023 (7)
2022 (4)
2021 (4)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$374.65MKey Investors
Capital TENBoardman Bay Capital ManagementLockheed Martin Ventures
2024-12-11Series D· $155M
2023-05-24Series C· $25M
2022-04-26Series C· $130M
Leadership Team
Mark Wade
President and CEO, Co-Founder
Alex Wright-Gladstein
Co-Founder and Advisor
Recent News
2026-01-18
2025-11-23
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