Senior Product Manager

As a Senior Product Manager at SMART Photonics, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of integrated photonics by translating customer applications and market trends into winning product strategies. You will work at the intersection of customers, R&D, and engineering to define product roadmaps, drive technology alignment, and identify new market opportunities. Your insights will directly influence SMART’s platform development and long-term innovation strategy.

In this role, you will focus on the telecom and datacom markets as our primary growth drivers! While also engaging with customers in emerging application areas such as automotive LiDAR, structural health monitoring, and biomedical technologies.

We need a seasoned senior Product Manager with a strong foundation in photonic integration and semiconductor technologies, combined with system-level understanding of optical communication systems (e.g., coherent and IMDD). You can translate system and customer requirements into clear product and technology needs and have a solid understanding of the pure-foundry model and PDK offerings.

Your responsibilities:

• Own the product strategy and roadmap for InP photonic integration technologies across telecom and datacom markets

• Develop a deep understanding of customer needs and system challenges, translating them into clear product requirements, functional specifications, and PIC building blocks

• Serve as the key interface between customers, R&D, and engineering, aligning market needs with technology capabilities and influencing both internal and customer roadmap

• Shape and influence company strategy by identifying market trends, defining strategic priorities, and aligning product direction with long-term business objectives

• Drive new customer engagement and build strong, collaborative relationships to expand adoption and long-term partnerships

• Partner with Sales and Marketing to identify, assess, and develop new business opportunities, defining scope and requirements for customer projects

• Guide technology development by defining specifications with R&D and prioritizing execution with Engineering

• Conduct competitive analysis and benchmarking to position products effectively in the market

• Integrate market insights, customer feedback, and competitive intelligence into product positioning and roadmap decisions

• Foster a culture of technical excellence and customer focus in the Product Management team

• Collaborate with external partners (e.g., EPDA tool providers) to advance the broader technology and software ecosystem

About SMART Photonics:

SMART Photonics is building an Indium Phosphide (InP) integrated photonics ecosystem that drives innovation across a wide range of applications; from energy-efficient datacenters to advanced sensing solutions for infrastructure monitoring and medical diagnostics. InP integrated photonics is rapidly expanding into new application areas, including aerospace, environmental monitoring, autonomous systems, and secure communications. At SMART Photonics, we are shaping the future of the medical, automotive, and data communications industries.

You can play a key role in that transformation.

• Strong technical background and 7+ years of experience in photonics, semiconductor, sensing, or telecom industry, ideally in roles bridge technology and business

• Deep understanding of customer applications and market needs, particularly in telecom and datacom (experience with LiDAR and sensing markets is a plus)

• Hands-on experience with integrated photonics technologies, and is familiar with the pure-play foundry model, PDK concepts, and the EPDA tool ecosystem

• To translate complex technologies into compelling product strategies and value propositions, while also converting market and customer requirements into technology and product development priorities

• Thrives in cross-functional environments and effectively influences internal and external stakeholders across engineering, R&D, sales, and customers

• Strong communicator who builds trust, navigates complexity, and drives alignment across diverse teams

• Demonstrates persistence and ownership in solving complex challenges and delivering outcomes that meet stakeholder needs

• Applies strong analytical and strategic thinking to make data-informed product decisions

• Is willing to travel regularly to engage with customers and partners

• Brings leadership experience or demonstrates the ability to mentor and guide others (preferred)

We offer:

A highly interesting and challenging position in a fast-growing company, offering competitive compensation (Details shared in first conversation with Recruitment Lead) , a strong and supportive sales team, and highly skilled, motivated R&D engineers working together to lead the next generation of integrated photonics technologies.

Interested?

If this opportunity excites you, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application and motivation, or contact our Talent Acquisition Lead;  Ilse de Graaf for more information.