- Senior
- Bureau à Karlsruhe
Do you want to be part of an organization on the cutting edge of technology?
We’re looking for talented people to join our motivated and friendly team. We have an open, collaborative, and flexible environment. You’ll work alongside leading industry experts and take on challenging projects that bring tomorrow’s electronics to life. If you want to make a difference, are an effective communicator, love a good challenge, and easily embrace change, your next career adventure awaits!
Mycronic is a global high-tech company whose innovative solutions have been advancing electronics technology for over 40 years. Today we continue to grow and serve customers in an expanding variety of industries. What we do impacts the future of technology, and in turn, the way we live our lives tomorrow.
Summary
We are looking for an experienced Director, R&D to join Mycronic’s Global Technologies division working within our Photonic Interconnects business line (Vanguard Automation) in Germany. In this role you will be responsible for building and leading a multi-disciplinary R&D organization (optics, mechanics, electronics, process engineering, and materials), which develops and transforms unique technology into reliable, industrialized products aligned with the company’s mission and vision.
This role requires a leader who combines deep technical understanding with proven experience in guiding disruptive technologies through industrialization, while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration.
As a key member of the company leadership team, the Director, R&D will ensure timely execution of R&D roadmaps and strengthen our technology leadership in the photonics packaging industry. The Director, R&D is also responsible for managing the budget and resources for the R&D department and for ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership- Shapes the mission and vision for Vanguard’s R&D organization, and translates them into clear strategies that support the overall company goals
- Leads the transformation from a technology-driven group into a product-delivery-oriented R&D organization
- Aligns R&D priorities with business needs, ensuring innovation is balanced with predictable execution
- Builds, inspires, and develops multi-domain teams across optics, mechanics, electronics, materials, and process engineering
- Fosters a culture that combines innovation with operational excellence, ensuring accountability and commitment to delivery
- Enters with openness to listen and learn before implementing changes, balancing cultural integration with new perspectives
- Oversees planning, resourcing, and delivery of R&D roadmaps, ensuring milestones are met.
- Implements robust project and product development processes, including design controls, risk management, and quality frameworks
- Collaborates closely with Product Management, Operations, and Sales to ensure alignment of R&D output with market requirements
- Collaborates closely with the Technology Fellow, who leads Vanguard’s forward-looking technology agenda and external representation with key technology contacts, lead customers, and at conferences
- Ensures that insights from external engagements are effectively integrated into R&D strategy and product development priorities
- Maintains focus on translating innovation into industrialized, reliable solutions that support Vanguard’s product roadmap
Qualifications & Experience
- Proven track record (8+ years) in leading cross-domain R&D teams in capital equipment high-tech or deep-tech environments, ideally spanning both startup/scale-up and established product companies
- Understanding of high-tech manufacturing environment with strong focus on customers and quality
- Experience in successfully transitioning disruptive technologies from early development into robust, industrialized products
- Strong background in managing multi-domain engineering teams (mechanics, optics, electronics, process engineering, and materials)
- Demonstrated success in building, motivating, and retaining high-performing teams
- Hands-on leadership style with openness to listen, learn, and integrate into the company’s existing culture before implementing change
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience as part of a company leadership team
- Advanced degree in engineering, physics, materials science, or related field; PhD is a plus
- Experience in the photonics/semiconductor industry is desirable
What We Offer
- Opportunity to shape the future of a disruptive deep-tech company at the forefront of integrated photonics
- A dynamic and entrepreneurial culture within the backing of a global high-tech group (Mycronic AB)
- Collaborative, international working environment with highly motivated colleagues
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
Our Culture of Collaboration & Personal Growth
For a company founded on passion, collaboration and outside-the-box thinking, there is no greater asset than a diverse workforce. It is the cornerstone of our global, internal culture, and we actively promote an inclusive and healthy work environment by embracing diversity and showing compassion for our colleagues. Not only does it fuel our innovation capabilities, but it also deepens our understanding of our customers as well as the different cultures in which we operate. We believe quite simply that diversity is our competitive edge.
