Tech Lead: Manufacturing Intelligence

About the role

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. 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. 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. Advanced Academic Depth: MSc/PhD or equivalent research depth in Computer Science, Robotics, or AI (ideally ETH Zurich, EPFL, TUM, or similar). Algorithmic Ownership: You have architected and shipped systems where the logic was the product, algorithms that solve hard combinatorial or geometric problems. Team Construction: Experience recruiting and mentoring high-performance engineering teams. You know how to identify and attract elite technical talent. 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. Industrial Grit: You are comfortable spending time on the production floor in Germany to ensure your algorithms survive the reality of manufacturing. On-site: Ability to work in-person at our HQ in Zurich, Switzerland. Pure researchers who haven't shipped production systems. Engineers who need a fully defined spec before they start building. You define the spec. Managers who've stopped writing code. People uncomfortable with ambiguity. Our problem space is being defined as we build it. Mission: Rebuild the industrial sovereignty of the West. Your work directly enables the production of mission-critical hardware for defense and space. Total Ownership: High-stakes autonomy in your domain. You own both the problems and the solutions - and have the authority to execute. 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. The Team: "Special Forces" model. Everyone senior, everyone ships. No politics, no bureaucracy. Direct feedback, high standards. Compensation: Competitive salary + meaningful equity. Location: Zurich HQ Resume: Focus on systems you've built and owned. GitHub/Portfolio: Show us work you're proud of - code, machines, or production systems. Cover letter: Why this mission? Why now? What would you build first?

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