Vice President of Operations

About Axelera AI

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 chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organization. We offer an attractive compensation package, extensive employee insurances and the option to get company shares.

An open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation is awaiting you. Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility is characteristic for the way we act and work as a team.

At Axelera AI, we wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and hold diversity in the highest regard. Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to join us in shaping the future of AI.

Key skills/competency

• Fabless Operations
• Supply Chain Management
• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Quality Assurance
• Yield Optimization
• NPI (New Product Introduction)
• Contract Negotiation
• Cross-functional Leadership
• Risk Mitigation
• Team Building