Chief Scientific Officer

Based on significant IP spun-out from Oxford University, Opsydia is poised to become globally recognised in the field of direct laser writing of 3D structures within glass and other materials.  

To continue the growth in its IP and product portfolios, the company is expanding its senior team through the appointment of a Chief Scientific Officer, to assume full control of Opsydia’s R&D and contribute to the company’s strategic development.

It is essential that the successful candidate has proven themselves as a success in a best practice, deep technology optics related management environment and possess world class scientific knowledge and dynamic leadership ability.

The CSO will work closely with the CTO & Founding Scientists, Profs Martin Booth & Patrick Salter, University of Oxford, in a collaborative and dynamic way, ensuring that scientific and technological progress of the company is closely aligned to commercial goals and customer needs while simultaneously establishing Opsydia as a leading force in the generation of new approaches, techniques and solutions.

PURPOSE AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES  

• To review and refine all aspects of the company’s R&D activities plus its product and technological strategy, then agree an updated strategy and overall technological development road map with the CTO.

• To grow and enhance the value of the company’s IP and optimise the management of the IP portfolio.

• To develop management and project practices to deliver the agreed plan and targets.


• To ensure all new developments (both hardware and software) are transferred to production engineering to a standard that makes them fit for purpose in terms of manufacturing and subsequent customer deployment.

• Overseeing overall technological development of the company and its products to achieve agreed specifications, including collaborative projects with external parties.

• Agree appropriate annual budgets with Executive Management and the Board and achieve the agreed targets with regular reporting on progress by implementing professional financial and management practices.

• Lead and mentor members of the R&D team to enable resilient growth within the company.

• Develop the company’s R&D and Technology roadmap, including cooperation with academic & commercial partners and assisting to secure internal & external funding.

ABOUT YOU

You will have a deep technical background with significant and proven experience, holding an advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in Physics or a closely related field.

You will have an assertive, enthusiastic and adaptable attitude, enabling you to build relationships with solid values of integrity and professionalism to positively articulate to and influence the team to reach our common goals and development milestones.

You will be able to act as an ambassador for Opsydia internationally, with periods of travel to be expected with reasonable notice whenever possible.

You will be able to demonstrate experience and knowledge in several of these areas:

• Deep understanding of optics and in particular co-packaged optics.


• Demonstrable track record of R&D excellence and new product development in areas such as datacoms or optical computing.


• Extensive experience and detailed understanding of ultrafast laser materials processing.


• Experience of high-resolution motion control.


• Experience in integrated photonics platforms such as silicon photonics, SiN, InP, GaN.


• Packaging experience including active alignment, edge coupling, vertical coupling.

You might also have experience in:

• Adaptive optics for laser beam shaping


• Application of ultrafast lasers to manufacturing


• Simulation of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design, performance and manufacturing.


• Microscopic metrology techniques, such as confocal or phase microscopy


• Development and optimisation of highly complex optical systems


• Familiarity with optical waveguide architectures and use cases. Experience with methods for directly writing optical waveguides is particularly interesting


• Device development from design to test


• Semiconductor architectures and design elements, including through vias and electronic interconnects.

Management experience:

• Best practice product research and development project management related to hardware and software sold internationally.


• Contributing to company development and strategy discussions at Board level.


• Participating in major commercial discussions.

As part of the recruitment process a selected candidate will be required to undergo security screening to BPSS standard.

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

Benefits

• Hybrid & flexible working arrangements


• Share option scheme


• Annual bonus scheme


• Private Medical Insurance


• Group Income Protection and Life Assurance


• Company matched pension contributions up to 5%. Salary sacrifice arrangement is available


• 25 days paid leave plus bank holidays


• Cycle to Work Scheme


• Mental Health and Wellbeing support and activities


• Supported further study or training for your professional and personal development


• Volunteering opportunities

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

We are an equal opportunities employer and commit to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace whilst creating an environment which promotes dignity and respect for all. We post our job descriptions across a wide range of recruitment platforms to enable us to garner the most diverse range of candidates we possibly can.

ADJUSTMENTS AND PROVISIONS

We are dedicated to putting in place any reasonable adjustments that may be required to meet the needs of those who wish to apply for a position at Opsydia.

Please share if you have a declared disability, for example but not limited to: a social communication impairment such as autism spectrum disorder, a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD; a mental health condition, a sensory impairment affecting sight or hearing or a physical or mobility impairment.

ALTERNATIVE FORMATS

We can provide our job descriptions in an alternative format of video or audio description

ABOUT OPSYDIA

Opsydia provides commercial systems based on adaptive optics which can directly generate photonic structures in a variety of transparent materials.    Learn more at opsydia.com

The company is based in the Centre for Innovation & Enterprise at Begbroke Science Park north of Oxford. Begbroke offers comprehensive facilities on-site including a restaurant, coffee shop and a minibus service between the park and Oxford.

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