Head of Electronics & Bring-Up (f/m/d)

Your mission

Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Type: Permanent employment, full-time, onsite with max. 1 day remote work per week

The future of AI computing builds on light. Q.ANT is building photonic processing systems that compute with light - delivering a scalable, energy-efficient alternative to transistor-based architectures for next-generation AI and HPC applications. The electronics that drive, control, and integrate these systems are mission-critical - and this role owns them end to end.


As Head of Electronics & Bring-Up, you will architect, realize, and bring up the complex electronic systems at the core of Q.ANT's photonic-ASIC-based AI accelerators. You will lead a small, high-caliber team of electronics engineers, own the full development lifecycle from first concept through production handover, and define the architecture, methods, and supplier base that determine whether Q.ANT's hardware reaches the market on time, on spec, and at cost. You report directly to the SVP Hardware, operate with high autonomy, and work at the intersection of photonics, electronics, and AI compute - a genuinely first-of-kind engineering challenge.

What You Will Do

• Define and own the architecture of complex electronic systems for photonic-ASIC-based AI accelerators - spanning circuit design, PCB architecture, external manufacturing, bring-up, verification, and system integration
• Own bring-up end to end: create bring-up plans, lead lab bring-up and system integration hands-on, perform prototype validation, and drive root-cause analysis until systems are stable
• Lead design reviews with internal teams (PIC, ASIC, systems, production) and external electronics development partners; manage partner performance and conduct supplier audits
• Drive industrialization and production handover - ensure designs meet cost targets (electronics <50% of sales price at module level) and are production-ready; bring decision proposals forward independently
• Build, lead, and develop the Electronics & Bring-Up team; establish clear subsystem ownership, close skill gaps proactively, and develop senior engineers into technical leads
• Develop the team's working methodology: bring-up rituals, design standards, reusable platforms, and lean decision-making structures
• Align with ASIC, PIC, systems, software, and operations via specifications and expert exchange; coordinate with production for industrialization
• Track and report KPIs - bring-up success rate, time-to-first-system, system yield, cost vs. target, team productivity (cycle time and re-use), and retention and development progress of key experts - in weekly alignment with SVP Hardware and CEO reporting cadence

Your profile

• MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related field
• Proven track record driving complex electronic systems end to end - from architecture and PCB/PCBA design through external development, lab bring-up, validation, and stable platform (approximately 7 to 10 years of relevant experience); server hardware or AI accelerator context preferred
• Strong expertise in Server Type Compute Platforms
• Experience managing external electronics development service providers, PCB/PCBA suppliers, and driving industrialization to production-ready designs with cost and margin awareness
• Exposure to ASIC-controlled or mixed-technology (photonic-electronic) systems and/or data-center integration environments is a plus
• You can decide, structure, and deliver under uncertainty - you define assumptions explicitly, create minimal effective structures, and act in grey zones without waiting for perfect requirements or complete data
• You are a hands-on technical leader with high ownership: you lead through expertise, build subsystem ownership in the team, step into the lab when it matters, and treat architecture, cost, and schedule targets as your own
• You are a clear, structured communicator across photonics, ASIC, software, operations, and senior management - you translate hardware realities into language that resonates at every level
• Fluent English is a must; German is beneficial

Why us?

• Make impact at scale: Your architecture and bring-up decisions directly determine whether Q.ANT's photonic AI accelerators reach the market - high stakes, high impact from day one
• Work on the leading edge: Electronic systems for photonic-ASIC-based AI accelerators - a technology domain with no established playbook and enormous upside
• Own your work from day one: Shape the electronics architecture, the team, the supplier base, and the bring-up methodology - with real decision-making authority
• Fast-track your growth: Work on challenges with few industry precedents - every problem you solve becomes new institutional knowledge and potentially industry-defining IP
• World-class team: Collaborate alongside a passionate, international, cross-functional team of experts in photonics, electronics, and packaging
• Direct access to leadership: Work closely with the company's founders, including CEO Dr. Michael Förtsch, and the Q.ANT senior leadership team
• Collaborative culture: Innovative work environment that values technical excellence, open communication, and pragmatic problem-solving
• Be part of history: Join at the inflection point where photonic computing transitions from research to mainstream - your contributions will shape this transformation

We are looking for a hands-on engineering leader who gets energized by owning complex electronic systems from first concept to stable, production-ready hardware - who builds teams, decides under uncertainty, and makes things work even when the playbook does not exist yet.

Ready to build the electronics that power the future of AI? We are looking forward to receiving your application!

Q.ANT is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

About us

Who we are and what we do

Q.ANT is a deep-tech scale-up developing photonic processing solutions that compute natively with light and deliver a scalable alternative to transistor-based systems. The analog co-processors are optimised for complex computations and enable energy-efficient performance for next-generation AI and HPC applications. In collaboration with the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart IMS CHIPS, Q.ANT operates its own pilot line for photonic chips, based on the material system Thin-Film Lithium Niobate TFLN. Q.ANT was founded by Michael Förtsch in 2018 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.