# COO (Chief Operating Officer) > NUS Enterprise · Singapore, Singapore · Contract · Posted 2026-03-16 **Workplace:** on_site **Department:** Projects ## Description We are seeking an exceptional COO to help build and scale a category-defining deep-tech company at the convergence of semiconductors, photonics, and next-generation data center infrastructure. This is a high-impact leadership role for an operator who thrives in technically complex environments and knows how to translate breakthrough innovation into disciplined execution across product, manufacturing, partnerships, and global operations. The COO will work closely with the CEO and board to turn strategy into operational momentum. You will build the systems, teams, partner ecosystem, and execution engine required to move from advanced technology development into productization and commercial scale. The role demands someone equally comfortable with engineering organizations, customer programs, manufacturing transfer, supply chain realities, and cross-border execution. What You Will Bring You have a strong track record of operating leadership within deep-tech businesses, ideally in semiconductors, photonics, optical communications, advanced packaging, or advanced manufacturing. You have helped scale a company through critical growth phases, whether from R&D to productization, pilot to volume manufacturing, or venture-backed scale-up to strategic exit or public-market readiness. You bring at least 15 years of relevant experience across semiconductor, photonics, optical communications, or advanced manufacturing environments. You are known for building operational rigor in technically demanding businesses and for aligning teams across engineering, manufacturing, commercial, and corporate functions. Operational Leadership You have deep experience managing complex operations across product development, manufacturing transfer, supply chain, quality, program management, and cross-functional execution. You know how to build cadence, accountability, and clarity in organizations where technical uncertainty and commercial urgency coexist. You have led organizations through critical scale inflection points, including establishing KPIs, stage-gate processes, capacity planning, vendor management, and customer delivery readiness. You can create structure without suffocating innovation, which is the rare trick that keeps deep-tech companies from turning into very expensive science fair projects. Technical and Industry Fluency You possess strong working knowledge of semiconductor and photonics manufacturing ecosystems, with the ability to engage credibly with foundries, OSATs, packaging partners, R&D institutions, and strategic customers. You understand the execution realities behind advanced technology platforms, including data center optical interconnects, silicon photonics, optical transceivers, co-packaged optics, and heterogeneous integration. Direct familiarity with micro-transfer printing, advanced packaging, process transfer, yield ramp, NPI, or manufacturing scale-up is highly valued. Prior experience working with imec, whether through technology development, ecosystem collaboration, pilot-line engagement, process integration, or strategic partnership management, would be a major advantage. Candidates who understand how to leverage imec’s research infrastructure, industry network, and translational R&D model to accelerate commercialization will be especially attractive. Cross-Border Execution and Partnership Management This role requires an executive who can operate effectively across the US, Europe, and Asia. You should have experience managing dual-geography or multi-geography teams, external manufacturing relationships, and global supply networks. You will be expected to help coordinate operations across Silicon Valley and Singapore, with regular engagement across the broader semiconductor and photonics ecosystem. You are comfortable leading external relationships with foundries, packaging houses, manufacturing partners, research institutes, systems integrators, and ecosystem collaborators. You know how to turn a messy web of stakeholders into an actual operating machine. Capital Efficiency and Company Building The ideal candidate understands how venture-backed deep-tech companies must scale. You know how to allocate resources carefully, build processes suited to the stage of the company, and support fundraising with a credible operating plan. You can partner with the CEO and investors on milestone design, organizational planning, manufacturing readiness, and commercial execution. You are energized by early-stage environments and willing to take on an equity-heavy compensation structure aligned with long-term value creation. ## Requirements Strongly Preferred Especially attractive candidates will have prior experience in photonics, lithium niobate, optical modulators, or semiconductor device commercialization. Experience building operational infrastructure in a company moving toward major strategic partnerships, large enterprise customers, or public-market readiness would be highly valuable. We are particularly interested in leaders who have worked with foundries such as TSMC or GlobalFoundries, packaging and assembly partners such as ASE, research and innovation organizations such as imec, or the APAC semiconductor ecosystem more broadly. Experience with government-supported industrial programs, including the CHIPS Act, DARPA, DoE, EDB, NRF, or A\*STAR, would also be beneficial. A technical degree in electrical engineering, applied physics, materials science, photonics, or a related field is preferred. Advanced degrees are welcome, but proven execution in hard-tech operating environments matters more than ornamental alphabet soup. Why This Role This is a builder’s COO role. The company needs someone who can architect execution at the same level of ambition as the technology itself. Someone who can align engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial priorities into one coherent operating system. Someone who can help turn extraordinary technical promise into an industrially credible, investor-ready, customer-relevant company. Please be informed that only shortlisted candidates will be notified. Job Type: 2-year Contract Organization: NUS Enterprise ## Apply [Apply at NUS Enterprise](https://apply.workable.com/nus-enterprise/j/58D9119C4E/apply) --- Powered by [Workable](https://www.workable.com)