Software Engineering Director - Hardware Integration

About OLIX

AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

As Software Engineering Director, Hardware Integration, you will lead and scale an organisation responsible for all software-hardware integration across the OTPU — spanning the ASIC, BMC, and photonic interconnect fabric — from pre-silicon through post-silicon and into sustainment engineering.

We are looking for a senior engineering leader to help shape where OLIX is going, not just how we get there. You bring deep technical judgment and a proven ability to build high-performing organizations that move with pace and conviction. You'll set the technical direction, define what matters and why, and create the conditions for outstanding engineers and engineering managers to do their best work.

• Translate long-term business direction into clear priorities to maximise customer and business outcomes, and shut down work that does not.

• Set the vision and long-term technical direction for hardware-software integration across the OTPU stack - ASIC, BMC, and photonic interconnect fabric - and hold the organisation accountable for delivering against it across the full development lifecycle.

• Own the full lifecycle. Lead engineering execution across pre-silicon (emulation and bring-up), post-silicon (validation, characterisation, and debug), and sustainment (production reliability and field issue resolution).

• Build and lead a high-performing organisation. Develop managers who take genuine ownership of customer outcomes — not just delivery metrics — and who build strong, capable teams beneath them.

• Define what technical excellence looks like. Establish the architectural principles, review cadences, systems engineering, and quality standards the organisation operates by, from firmware interfaces to photonic fabric bring-up.

• Make the hard technical calls on where to invest across the hardware-software boundary — including BSP and firmware development, ASIC validation methodology, BMC platform ownership, and interconnect fabric integration.

• Build a healthy, high-performance culture that balances innovation, speed, and engineering rigour across a team working on the frontier of a genuinely novel hardware platform.

• Proven senior engineering leader who has delivered complex hardware-software integration programmes across multiple teams in an ambiguous and fast-moving environment, with direct accountability for senior managers and multi-team execution.

• Deep technical expertise in systems software, firmware, and hardware-software co-development - with hands-on experience across one or more of: ASIC bring-up and validation, BMC/firmware platforms, or high-speed interconnect fabrics.

• Full lifecycle experience - you've shipped hardware from pre-silicon through to production and understand the distinct engineering challenges at each phase: simulation and emulation, silicon bring-up, post-silicon debug and characterisation, and long-tail sustainment.

• Scaling expertise - you've designed teams, hired senior talent, and developed managers to be strong leaders as well as strong engineers.

• Track record running programmes with high reliability expectations, including robust observability, incident management, and close collaboration with hardware and silicon teams on field issues.

• Outstanding communicator and recruiter, able to articulate a technical vision for a genuinely novel hardware platform in a way that makes exceptional people want to join and do the best work of their careers.

People leader in the truest sense. You coach, develop, and stretch engineers and managers alike - not to hit targets, but to raise the ceiling of what the organisation can do.

• Competitive Salary: £195,000+, commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.

• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.

• Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a £24k annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.

Health & Wellbeing

• Premium Healthcare: Comprehensive BUPA medical and dental cover, including Medical History Disregarded (MHD), for complete peace of mind.

• Time Off: 25 days of annual leave, plus all UK bank holidays.

The Workspace & Tech

• Elite Hardware: M4 Macs come as standard, with M4 Pro upgrades for our engineering team. We will provide whatever you need to do your best work.

• Optimal Environment: High-spec noise-cancelling headphones and a fully ergonomic workstation designed for deep focus.

• Rapid Prototyping: Access to our high-performance 3D printing lab for work, experimentation, and personal creative projects.

Life at the Office

• Chef-prepared meals: if you need to work late.

• Caffeine on Us: We’ve got you covered with a tab at our favourite local coffee shop.

Relocation & Global Mobility

• Visa Sponsorship: We hire the best in the world. We offer full UK and international visa sponsorship.

• Seamless Relocation: Whether you’re moving across the country or across the globe, our dedicated relocation partner provides funding and concierge support to get you settled.

Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible.