Supply Chain Manager

About Lumilens

Lumilens is pioneering the photonics infrastructure essential for next-generation AI supercomputing. From optical interconnects between chips to scalable photonic engines, our technology aims to revolutionize computing speed, energy efficiency, and cooling. As a well-funded startup backed by Mayfield and led by industry veterans, we focus on developing high-speed photonics products powering AI infrastructure and high-performance computing.

Role Overview

We are recruiting an accomplished Supply Chain Manager to oversee sourcing strategies and total supply chain operations for critical optical and photonic components including lasers, photonic integrated circuits, photodetectors, and fiber array units. The role entails supplier identification, evaluation, negotiation, and relationship management on a global scale, ensuring alignment of capacity and deliveries with production schedules. This position demands expertise in sourcing and supply chain planning, combined with technical knowledge in optics/photonics to assess suppliers and reduce risks related to single sourcing.

Primary Responsibilities

• Convert forecasts and plans into supplier capacity needs and allocation plans for key commodities.
• Monitor supplier lead times and deliveries, proactively identifying issues impacting build timelines.
• Collaborate closely with production and planning teams to ensure supplier capabilities meet pilot, prototype, and production demands.
• Develop comprehensive supply plans balancing forecasted demand, inventory levels, and manufacturing capabilities globally.
• Establish and maintain planning governance, metrics, and processes to support consistent data-driven decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance flexibility, efficiency, and responsiveness of the supply chain amid scaling.
• Lead supplier qualification processes involving technical and quality assessments, collaborating with engineering and quality teams.
• Evaluate supplier financial health, capacity, and technology roadmaps to inform sourcing strategies.
• Negotiate pricing, capacity, and supply agreements with photonics and optics suppliers.
• Align sourcing plans with technology roadmaps by partnering with engineering and product teams ahead of production schedules.
• Manage cost-reduction initiatives for major commodities and monitor achieved savings.
• Maintain oversight of long-lead and critical optical components, identifying supply risks such as allocation limits, dependency on single sources, and export-control issues.
• Develop contingency plans including dual sourcing strategies for high-risk components.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and program management to convert product requirements into scalable supply strategies.
• Support contract manufacturers by facilitating supplier introductions and managing component allocations.
• Analyze and report on supplier performance related to delivery timeliness, quality metrics, cost fluctuations, and capacity usage.
• Maintain and regularly update supply roadmaps and risk dashboards for optics and photonics categories for leadership review.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Supply Chain Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in sourcing, procurement, and supply chain management.
• Demonstrated success in negotiating supply contracts and managing supplier relationships across Asia and globally.
• Strong analytical acumen and experience managing multiple stakeholders in cross-functional environments.