SAEKI - Manufacturing at software speed Europe's defense industrial base cannot respond at the speed modern conflict requires. Legacy suppliers operate on month-long timelines. Tribal knowledge is retiring. Supply chains are fragile. SAEKI is building the operating system for autonomous factories — the infrastructure that lets Europe manufacture mission-critical components at software speed. You'll own the intelligence layer that makes autonomous manufacturing possible: the perception engine that understands geometry, the reasoning engine that plans production, and the algorithms that capture decades of manufacturing expertise in code. Your work directly determines whether a part can go from CAD upload to machine queue without human intervention. The Role As the Tech Lead — Manufacturing Intelligence (MI), you are the Architect and Owner of our MI stack's core intelligence capabilities. Your mandate is twofold: building the foundational AI that powers our Factory OS, and building the engineering team required to deliver it. You are a Player-Coach who owns a core division of the company. Based at our HQ in Zurich (Oerlikon), you'll lead development of the intelligence layers that turn raw geometry into execution-ready manufacturing plans — spanning computational geometry, ML/AI, and manufacturing systems integration. What We're Looking For <h2> </h2><ul><li>5–7+ years of experience as a software engineer with a track record in ML/AI systems, computational geometry, or complex algorithmic software that operates under real-world constraints.</li><li>Advanced Academic Depth: MSc/PhD or equivalent research depth in Computer Science, Robotics, or AI (ideally ETH Zurich, EPFL, TUM, or similar).</li><li>Algorithmic Ownership: You have architected and shipped systems where the logic was the product, algorithms that solve hard combinatorial or geometric problems.</li><li>Team Construction: Experience recruiting and mentoring high-performance engineering teams. You know how to identify and attract elite technical talent.</li><li>High-Tempo Execution: You thrive in high-stakes environments and possess a strong sense of urgency. You lead by example and are willing to engage directly with hardware integration challenges.</li><li>Industrial Grit: You are comfortable spending time on the production floor in Germany to ensure your algorithms survive the reality of manufacturing.</li><li>On-site: Ability to work in-person at our HQ in Zurich, Switzerland.</li></ul> What we're not looking for <ul><li>Pure researchers who haven't shipped production systems.</li><li>Engineers who need a fully defined spec before they start building. You define the spec.</li><li>Managers who've stopped writing code.</li><li>People uncomfortable with ambiguity. Our problem space is being defined as we build it.</li></ul> What we offer <ul><li>Mission: Rebuild the industrial sovereignty of the West. Your work directly enables the production of mission-critical hardware for defense and space.</li><li>Total Ownership: High-stakes autonomy in your domain. You own both the problems and the solutions — and have the authority to execute.</li><li>The Environment: Access to a 5,000m² state-of-the-art facility featuring 5-axis CNCs, Metal 3D-printers and more. Your work runs on real hardware from day one.</li><li>The Team: "Special Forces" model. Everyone senior, everyone ships. No politics, no bureaucracy. Direct feedback, high standards.</li><li>Compensation: Competitive salary + meaningful equity.</li><li>Location: Zurich HQ</li></ul> Apply <ul><li>Resume: Focus on systems you've built and owned.</li><li>GitHub/Portfolio: Show us work you're proud of — code, machines, or production systems.</li><li>Cover letter: Why this mission? Why now? What would you build first?</li></ul>

Tech Lead: Manufacturing Intelligence @ saeki

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