Job Specifications
About Us
Axelera AI is not your regular deep-tech startup. We are creating the next-generation AI platform to support anyone who wants to help advancing humanity and improve the world around us.
In just four years, we have raised a total of $370 million and have built a world-class team of 220+ employees (including 49+ PhDs with more than 40,000 citations), both remotely from 18 different countries and with offices in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
We have also launched our Metis™ AI Platform, which achieves a 3-5x increase in efficiency and performance, and have visibility into a strong business pipeline exceeding $100 million.
Our unwavering commitment to innovation has firmly established us as a global industry pioneer.
Are you up for the challenge?
Position Overview
The Vice President of Operations will build and scale the end-to-end operations function for a fast-growing fabless semiconductor company. This executive will take ownership of manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and delivery — transforming early prototypes and customer pilots into reliable, high-volume production.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring deep technical expertise, strong execution instincts, and the ability to operate effectively in an environment with limited resources, evolving processes, and aggressive timelines.
Key responsibilities:
Build & Scale Operations
Establish and scale fabless operations from early silicon through volume production
Design and implement operational processes, systems, and KPIs suitable for rapid growth
Lead NPI, qualification, ramp, and sustaining production across multiple products and customers
Balance speed, cost, and quality in a resource-constrained environment
Supply Chain & Manufacturing
Own all external manufacturing: foundries, OSATs, test partners, and logistics providers
Drive production planning, demand forecasting, and capacity management
Identify and mitigate supply chain risks early (capacity, yield, lead times, geopolitical exposure)
Develop alternate sourcing and contingency plans as the company scales
Foundry & Partner Leadership
Build strategic, senior-level relationships with foundries and OSAT partners
Negotiate contracts, pricing, capacity commitments, and escalation paths
Advocate for the company internally with partners despite early-stage volume constraints
Quality & Yield Excellence
Establish quality, reliability, and failure analysis frameworks appropriate for startup scale
Lead yield learning, root cause analysis, and corrective actions from first silicon onward
Ensure customer quality requirements and certifications are met as the business grows
Cross-Functional Execution
Work closely with Engineering on DFM/DFT, process selection, and yield improvement
Partner with Product and Sales to align customer commitments with operational reality
Collaborate with Finance on cost modeling, cash planning, and gross margin improvement
Team & Culture
Build, lead, and mentor a lean, high-impact operations and supply chain team
Set a culture of ownership, urgency, transparency, and continuous improvement
Roll up sleeves when needed — no task is “too small” at this stage
Qualifications:
Required
12+ years of experience in semiconductor operations, manufacturing, or supply chain
Strong background in fabless semiconductor companies, preferably at startup or scale-up stage
Proven experience taking products from tape-out to volume production
Deep knowledge of wafer fabrication, packaging, test, and yield optimization
Track record of building processes and teams from the ground up
Ability to operate effectively with ambiguity, incomplete data, and tight timelines
Preferred
Experience scaling a startup through rapid growth or acquisition
Exposure to advanced nodes and/or complex packaging
Background in markets such as AI, automotive, industrial, or data infrastructure
MBA or advanced technical degree
Location
We offer a flexible working arrangement, with options to:
Work from one of our Axelera AI offices (Leuven in Belgium, Amsterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Zurich in Switzerland, Florence and Milan in Italy or Bristol in the United Kingdom) if you're already based in the vicinity.
Work fully remotely from any European country (incl. the UK) you are already in.
Relocate with us and work from Italy (Florence or Milan) or the Netherlands (Amsterdam or Eindhoven).
What Success Looks Like (12–24 Months)
Predictable silicon delivery from early customers to volume production
Strong, trusted relationships with foundries and OSAT partners
Measurable improvements in yield, cost, and cycle time
A scalable operations foundation ready for the next growth phase
What We offer
Opportunity to build the operations engine from the ground up
High visibility and direct impact on company success
Executive ownership in a company transitioning from startup to scale-up
This is your cha