Sr. Manager, Procurement

Senior Manager, Procurement

Location: San Jose, CA (Headquarters) | Full-Time, Some Travel Required

Ayar Labs is shattering AI data bottlenecks by moving data at the speed of light. As pioneers of co-packaged optics (CPO), we are using light instead of electricity to move data faster, further, and with a fraction of the energy needed to fuel the explosive growth of AI models.

Backed by industry giants like NVIDIA, AMD and Intel and manufactured in partnership with the world’s leading semiconductor ecosystem, Ayar Labs’ co-packaged optics solution is key to unleashing next-generation AI scale-up architectures.

The Senior Procurement Manager will own sourcing and supplier management for the components and materials used in our TeraPHY and SuperNova products, including silicon photonic Wafers/ ICs, laser sources, optical and mechanical subassemblies, substrates, and test hardware. This role requires hands‑on experience procuring for optical transceivers, pluggable modules, or silicon photonics products, and the ability to translate that industry knowledge into supplier strategy for Ayar Labs' unique chiplet and light‑source architecture.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end procurement strategy for TeraPHY and SuperNova bills of materials, including silicon photonic ICs/chiplets, laser diode arrays (DFB/EML), TECs, optical isolators, WDM multiplexers, ROSA/TOSA packages, ceramic substrates, interposers, fiber connectors (LC/MPO), and test fixtures.
• Identify, qualify, and manage suppliers of photonic components, specialty semiconductors, and optical subassemblies; establish multi-source strategies to mitigate single-source and allocation risk on critical items such as laser sources and specialty substrates.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and long-term supply agreements; drive total-cost-of-ownership reductions through should-cost modeling, cost breakdowns, and value engineering with suppliers.
• Partner with Engineering, NPI, Quality and Operations teams to support new product introduction — leading supplier selection, tracking material cost against business-case targets, and managing the transition from prototype to volume production.
• Monitor and mitigate supply chain risk (lead times, allocation, geopolitical and export-control exposure) across the optical components ecosystem, including lasers, photonic ICs, DSPs/retimers, and connectors.
• Execute and manage purchase requisition and purchase order processing, maintenance and updates from suppliers, which provide parts, products and services to companies needs.
• Manage supplier performance through scorecards and business reviews covering quality, delivery, and cost; lead escalations and corrective actions cross-functionally.
• Support demand planning and inventory strategy in coordination with Supply Chain Planning and Operations.
• Track technology and supplier trends in the optical transceiver, pluggable module and ELFSP module market (400G/800G/1.6T, QSFP-DD, OSFP, co-packaged optics) to inform sourcing decisions and anticipate impacts on Ayar Labs' roadmap.
• Purchase engineering prototype materials, lab consumables, and rapid-turn parts to support R&D design iterations, bring-up, debug, and characterization activities.
• Source and procure optical and electrical test equipment (e.g., ATE, optical test stations, environmental chambers, probe stations) for engineering labs and production test lines, partnering with Test Engineering on specifications and vendor selection.
• Manage test and lab equipment calibration, maintenance contracts, and spare-parts sourcing to ensure engineering and production test uptime.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field.
• 8+ years of procurement or strategic sourcing experience, including 3+ years focused on optical, photonic, or semiconductor components.
• Direct experience sourcing components for optical transceivers, pluggable modules, or silicon photonics products — e.g., lasers, photonic ICs, TOSA/ROSA, optical connectors, or DSPs — with working knowledge of relevant MSA/industry standards (QSFP-DD, OSFP, CMIS).
• Demonstrated success negotiating supply agreements and driving cost reduction with semiconductor, laser, or optical component suppliers.
• Experience supporting NPI and scaling supply chains from prototype through volume production, ideally in a hardware startup or fabless semiconductor environment.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor/photonics manufacturing, packaging, and test flows.
• Proficiency with ERP/procurement systems (e.g., NetSuite, SAP, Oracle) and cost-modeling tools.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and cross-functional communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience at, or sourcing from, companies producing optical transceivers, pluggables, or optical engines.
• Knowledge of co-packaged optics (CPO), UCIe, and advanced chiplet packaging.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Fluent in Mandarin a plus
• CPSM, CPIM, or CIPS certification.
• Direct sourcing experience with laser diodes (DFB/EML/VCSEL), WDM components, or fiber optic assemblies.

Salary Range: $150,000 - $180,000

Ayar Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is strongly committed to all policies which will afford equal opportunity employment to all qualified persons without regard to age, sex, national origin, race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the policy of Ayar Labs to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Veterans are more than welcome and encouraged to apply.