DevOps Engineer
Lightium is building next-generation photonic integrated circuits on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). As we scale, we need someone to own the day-to-day operation and development of the systems that keep our engineering and operations running, from cloud infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines to enterprise platform integrations and internal tooling.
Position Summary
This is a hands-on, execution-focused role. The focus is on backend development and infrastructure. You’ll be the person who makes things work, keeps them running, and continuously improves them. We want someone who is equally comfortable spinning up a cloud environment, writing a Python integration script, and experimenting with LLM-based tooling to automate a tedious workflow. If you are hungry to build real things in a fast-moving environment, this role was designed for you.
Responsibilities
DevOps & Cloud Infrastructure
Manage and maintain cloud infrastructure on AWS and/or GCP, including compute, storage, and networking.
Build, maintain, and improve CI/CD pipelines to support reliable and repeatable deployments of internal software and tooling.
Implement infrastructure-as-code practices to ensure environments are version-controlled, reproducible, and auditable.
Monitor system health, cyber security, access control, respond to incidents, and implement fixes and preventive measures to maximize uptime and reliability.
Manage development and production environments and enforce sensible promotion and deployment workflows.
Enterprise Systems Support & Integration
Support the day-to-day operation and configuration of Lightium’s enterprise platforms: Aras Innovator (PLM), Oracle NetSuite (ERP), and MES.
Support, maintain, and scale our corporate IT infrastructure, such as selection and implementation of network hardware, servers, storage, etc.
Develop and maintain integration pipelines and API connectors (in Python, C#, etc.) that move data reliably between systems.
Assist with the rollout and onboarding of new platform features and system updates as the enterprise stack evolves.
Develop custom Aras Innovator workflows, server-side methods, and client-side scripts (in C# and JavaScript) to support closed-loop traceability from simulation through fabrication to measured device performance.
AI Agents & Productivity Enhancement
Build LLM-powered tools to automate business workflows.
Stay current with the fast-moving AI agents landscape and bring concrete proposals for where agent tooling could meaningfully accelerate Lightium’s engineering and operations workflows.
Work with the data and engineering teams to scope, prototype, and ship AI-assisted tools in a pragmatic, production-minded way (with appropriate guardrails, logging, and human oversight).
Documentation & Process Hygiene
Keep documentation up to date for systems, pipelines, integrations, and deployment procedures.
Define and follow standard operating procedures for routine operational tasks to ensure consistency and continuity.
Communicate clearly with the team about system status, outages, ongoing work, and completed changes.
What You’ll Bring
Experience and Skills
A recent graduate or experienced engineer with a degree in computer science, software engineering, IT, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience.
Solid programming ability in at least two of: Python, JavaScript, C#, or SQL.
Hands-on familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS or GCP preferred) and comfort navigating services like EC2/Cloud Run, S3/GCS, IAM, and Lambda/Cloud Functions, Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, MQTT.
Some experience with CI/CD tooling (e.g. GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins) and version control workflows.
Experience in a semiconductor/industrial manufacturing environment.
Experience with enterprise systems (ERP, PLM, MES).
Startup Mentality
A driven, results-oriented mindset with a passion for innovation and problem-solving. You are proactive, take ownership of your successes and failures, and thrive on delivering tangible outcomes in a dynamic environment.
Communication
Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is required.
What We Offer
Competitive compensation and benefits package, including an employee stock option plan (ESOP), fully-covered Pillar Two, and generous vacation.
A unique opportunity to lead a cutting-edge manufacturing initiative in the rapidly growing field of photonics.
A collaborative and innovative work environment where your contributions will shape the future of telecommunications, datacom, and beyond.
Become a key player in an early-phase startup and join a young, motivated, and energetic team. You will have the unique opportunity to create, grow, and develop your professional skills at a fast pace.
Final Thoughts
We'd love to hear from you if you're passionate about building new tech from the ground up and thrive in a collaborative and result-driven environment.
Lightium is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
- Locations
- Zürich
- Remote status
- Hybrid
About Lightium AG
Just as silicon chips reshaped electronics, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are poised to revolutionize how we process, store, and transmit data. As data creation and consumption explode, transmission speeds struggle to keep up.
We are proud to be Europe’s first company to offer a high-volume, production-grade foundry platform based on our proprietary thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) technology. This material outperforms traditional silicon photonics in speed, power efficiency, and overall performance.
We are positioned at the forefront of photonics, enabling ultra-high speeds for our connected world.