{"id":1709761,"url":"https://alion.io/job/zero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus","title":"Head of Engineering (Photonics & Scale-up Focus)","company":{"id":3798709,"name":"Zero Point Motion","domain":"zeropointmotion.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/zeropointmotion","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Teamtailor","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":9,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"}},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Bristol, United Kingdom"],"countries":["GB"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":110000,"max_usd":206000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":71},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-01-09T15:58:54Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-01-09","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T14:40:17Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":297,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":296},"description":"The Head of Engineering owns taking technology from one to scale, with primary ownership of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and associated light sources and detectors.\nThis role exists to turn proven concepts into a product that ships reliably, repeatedly, and at high standards. The photonic subsystem is the pacing item: its maturity defines packaging, integration, test strategy, and much of the downstream electronics, firmware, and software.\nThis is not a generalist engineering role.\nThis is a photonics-first scale-up role.\nThe Role\nAs Head of Engineering, you are accountable for execution reality, with emphasis on photonics.\nYou own maturing photonic technology into something production-ready. At the same time, you are expected to develop an insanely steep learning curve across adjacent domains (MEMS, electronics, mechanics, firmware, and software) not to reinvent them, but to understand them deeply enough to make correct scale-up decisions.\nYou take concepts from the Head of R&D and:\nStress-test them against production constraints\n\nTranslate them into manufacturable designs\n\nManage the suppliers and partners needed to make them real\n\nYou must be able to interpret test data across non-photonic domains, understand failure modes, and reason about the mechanical, electrical, and software “glue” that holds the system together.\nYou lead by doing. You set standards by example. You are deeply hands-on in the lab and in code when it matters.\nThis role requires intensity. You must be willing to work extended hours and weekends when required.\nWhat You’ll Do\nOwn delivery of PICs, lasers, and detectors from design freeze through scale-up.\n\nDrive photonic maturity: stability, yield, repeatability, and margin.\n\nDevelop rapid working understanding of:\nMEMS behaviour and test results\n\nElectronics performance, noise, and interfaces\n\nMechanical constraints and packaging interactions\n\nFirmware and software behaviour at system level\n\nWithout reinventing these domains, unless you have strong, evidence-backed ideas to improve them.\n\nManage and challenge external suppliers across MEMS, electronics, packaging, and test.\n\nLead photonics-centric automation across:\nDesign and layout checks\n\nSimulation and modelling\n\nTest, characterisation, and calibration\n\nTape-out, DRC, LVS, and sign-off\n\nBe hands-on in the lab:\nOptical alignment and characterisation\n\nDebugging cross-domain issues using data\n\nCorrelating measurements with models\n\nWrite and maintain Python-based tooling for:\nTest automation\n\nData analysis\n\nPerformance tracking and reporting\n\nDefine clear component-level performance targets and acceptance criteria.\n\nWork closely with Head of R&D (architecture) and Head of Foundry (process and yield).\n\nPython coding and lab competence are non-negotiable.\nRequired Background\nYou must have:\nDeep, hands-on photonics experience (PICs + lasers and/or detectors)\n\nPlus technical experience with either one of the following:\nMEMS sensor systems\n\nASIC / FPGA\n\nYou must have demonstrated:\nAbility to take photonic technology beyond prototype\n\nAbility to interpret and act on cross-domain test results\n\nAbility to work productively with suppliers and partners\n\nAbility to write and talk confidently and clearly about deep tech\n\nHow this role fits\nReports directly to the CEO\n\nOwns tape-out execution for photonic components\n\nCan be blocked by Head of R&D, Head of Foundry, or CEO\n\nMain reporter of progress towards product, using this skill for whitepapers, conferences, grant proposals\n\nExternal owner of photonic production readiness and performance\n\nWho This Role Is For\nThis role is for someone who:\nHas deep photonics expertise and wants to make it real at scale\n\nLearns adjacent domains at extreme speed to make good decisions\n\nIs comfortable relying on domain experts but can challenge them using data\n\nIs bullish, demanding, and unwilling to accept sloppy execution\n\nHas high standards, high integrity, and low ego\n\nDoes not need to reinvent everything to add value\n\nIs accountable for outcomes, not activity\n\nWhat success looks like\nPhotonics maturity & technical control\nPhotonic components behave predictably across wafers, runs, operating conditions, and time. Clear understanding of performance margins, sensitivities, and yield drivers for PICs, lasers, and detectors\n\nPhotonics-related failure modes are understood, monitored, and shrinking - not rediscovered\n\nFewer surprises at system integration because the photonic core is stable and well-characterised\n\nAutomation, repeatability & standards\nAutomated, repeatable photonics design, test, and release workflows are in place and actively used\n\nAutomation does not degrade quality, standards are preserved or raised as scale increases\n\nTape-out, DRC, LVS, test, and calibration processes are version-controlled, auditable, and boring (in the good way)\n\nManual heroics are being replaced by systems that work every time\n\nCross-domain understanding & integration readiness\nMEMS, electronics, firmware, and software issues are caught early because you can interpret the data and ask the right questions\n\nYou do not reinvent adjacent domains but you understand them well enough to:\nChallenge assumptions\n\nSpot inconsistencies\n\nPrevent late-stage integration failures\n\nThe mechanical, electrical, and software “glue” holding the product together is increasingly robust and explicit\n\nCost, supply chain & leverage\nBOM costs are understood, tracked, and actively driven down without compromising performance or reliability\n\nCritical components have:\nClear cost drivers\n\nIdentified second sources or credible backup plans\n\nExplicit risk registers where second sourcing is not yet viable\n\nSupplier dependencies are intentional, not accidental\n\nExternal suppliers, consultants, and third parties are:\nClearly scoped\n\nActively managed\n\nHeld to demanding technical and delivery standards\n\nExecution & organisational impact\nSuppliers move faster because expectations, interfaces, and acceptance criteria are clear.\n\nEngineering execution becomes more predictable without becoming slower\n\nTrade-offs between performance, cost, risk, and schedule are explicit and evidence-based\n\nThe team feels pressure but also clarity. There is less thrash and fewer “emergency” surprises\n\nThe technical bar across the organisation is visibly higher:\nBetter experiments\n\nCleaner data\n\nSharper questions\n\nFewer hand-wavy explanations\n\nVisibility & conviction\nRegular demos presented to the board on product maturity & hitting performance targets\n\nWorking with us\nCompensation: Our framework is built on fairness and transparency, with regular reviews to reflect growth and performance. \n\nBenefits: Share options, pension, and private medical insurance. \n\nCulture: A deep-tech rocketship backed by leading investors. We’re building breakthrough technology with real commercial impact. Pace is high. Standards are higher.\n\nZero Point Motion is determined to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We are committed to providing a work environment where there’s a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, and everyone is treated with respect. Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to our mission, and we strongly encourage candidates of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7333,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Health insurance","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Optical Communications","Hardware","Sensors & Transducers"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-02T16:47:44Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"GB","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"Licensed UK visa sponsor (Skilled Worker)","filings_12m":null,"filings_prev_12m":null,"green_card_filings_12m":null,"median_offered_wage_usd":null,"route":"Skilled Worker","cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-31T06:23:40+00:00","sources":["UK Home Office: register of licensed sponsors (workers)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":8,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.291,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":296,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:1","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/zero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/zero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T18:26:27Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":25825,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":3798709},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=3798709"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fzero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fzero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fzero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/zero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fzero-point-motion-head-of-engineering-photonics-scale-up-focus"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":1709761}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"zeropointmotion.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":1709761},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. Docs: https://alion.io/developers"}}