Director Lab Operations Jobs in Castro Valley, CA

nEye.ai, a well-funded optical switch startup, is poised to revolutionize the future of data centers. nEye’s MEMS-based silicon photonics optical circuit switches (OCS) eliminate critical bottlenecks in AI processing by enabling direct optical connections among thousands of GPUs and memory units. The company's OCS is an ultra-low power consumption, high radix, compact chip-scale design, offering hyperscale data centers enhanced performance, efficiency, and scalability.

As we scale our engineering and manufacturing operations, we are seeking a highly hands-on Lab Operations, Facilities & Equipment Manager to own the day-to-day operation, organization, and readiness of our labs, cleanrooms, equipment, and facilities across our Santa Clara and Emeryville sites.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys building order from complexity, solving practical problems, supporting technical teams, and serving as the go-to person who keeps critical infrastructure running smoothly.

• Serve as the primary owner of day-to-day lab operations across Santa Clara and Emeryville.

• Maintain organized, efficient, and professional laboratory and cleanroom environments.

• Coordinate equipment placement, lab layouts, benches, fixtures, storage systems, and workspaces.

• Manage facility and equipment requests from engineering teams and ensure timely follow-through.

• Establish systems and processes that keep labs operating efficiently as the company scales.

• Act as the first point of contact for lab-related operational issues.

• Own and coordinate critical facility systems including:

  • Cleanroom infrastructure

  • HVAC systems

  • Process gases

  • Vacuum systems

  • Electrical power distribution

  • DI water systems

  • Chemical storage and handling infrastructure

• Partner with landlords, contractors, facilities providers, and vendors on upgrades, repairs, expansions, and maintenance activities.

• Support future lab and cleanroom buildouts as company needs evolve.

• Proactively identify facility risks and capacity constraints before they impact engineering productivity.

• Support installation, commissioning, relocation, and decommissioning of laboratory and manufacturing equipment.

• Troubleshoot equipment issues directly when possible and coordinate vendor support when required.

• Maintain equipment inventories, service records, calibration schedules, and maintenance documentation.

• Develop and manage preventive maintenance programs.

• Track spare parts, consumables, and critical replacement components.

• Ensure equipment remains operational, organized, and available to engineering teams.

• Support and enforce laboratory safety programs, including:

  • ESD procedures

  • Equipment calibration requirements

  • Chemical handling and storage

  • General laboratory safety practices

  • EH&S compliance

• Maintain required documentation, inspections, and audit readiness.

• Partner with internal stakeholders and external consultants on safety initiatives and compliance activities.

• Maintain accurate inventories of equipment, tools, fixtures, spare parts, and consumables.

• Track asset location, condition, service history, and lifecycle status.

• Coordinate equipment ordering, shipping, receiving, and deployment activities.

• Conduct regular audits and reconcile inventory records.

• Proactively identify low-stock or end-of-life items before they become operational risks.

• 5+ years of experience supporting facilities, laboratory operations, equipment engineering, manufacturing operations, or related functions.

• Experience working in advanced technology environments such as:

  • Semiconductor manufacturing

  • Silicon photonics

  • MEMS

  • Electronics manufacturing

  • Advanced packaging

  • Precision engineering laboratories

• Experience supporting laboratory, cleanroom, pilot manufacturing, or R&D environments.

• Hands-on experience coordinating facility systems, equipment installations, and vendor relationships.

• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.

• Working knowledge of:

  • ESD controls

  • Equipment calibration

  • Laboratory safety procedures

  • Chemical handling and storage

  • General EH&S requirements

• Ability to independently solve practical operational problems and take ownership of issues from identification through resolution.

• Experience supporting startup or rapidly scaling technology companies.

• Experience participating in laboratory, cleanroom, or facility buildouts.

• Familiarity with photonics, MEMS, semiconductor, or advanced manufacturing equipment.