Head of Lab Operations
About Etched
Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
Etched is looking for a Head of Lab Operations to own the full operational layer of our Platforms Validation lab. This is a senior leadership role, responsible for everything between hardware arriving at our dock and engineers running it in a rack — board intake and serialization, rework coordination, physical lab infrastructure, equipment commissioning, team supervision, and end-to-end workflow management. You will directly supervise Test Operators, Engineering Technicians, Rework Technicians, and Mechanical Technicians, and will interface closely with the Head of Platform Validation Engineering to ensure lab operations are aligned with engineering priorities and program schedules.
The ideal candidate has a strong background in lab or infrastructure operations, junior management experience, and the technical depth to engage meaningfully with hardware validation workflows — including the ability to read schematics, understand bring-up sequences, and oversee PCB rework activities.
Key Responsibilities
Lab Operations & Board flow
Own end-to-end board flow: incoming serialization, rework coordination, mechanical assembly, screening and rack integration.
Serve as the central point of contact for hardware resource allocation, developmental server assignments and board status tracking.
Maintain a live status tracker for all boards in-flight across lab stages; communicate status and risks to engineering and program leadership.
Drive rework prioritization in coordination with validation engineers; oversee rework technicians and interface with rework partners.
Team Leadership & Supervision
Directly supervise Test Operators / Technicians, Engineering Technicians, Rework Technicians, and Mechanical Technicians.
Manage daily task queues, shift coverage, and productivity across the lab operations team.
Define onboarding and training standards for new lab operations hires; establish and maintain work instructions and SOPs.
Identify staffing gaps and contribute to hiring decisions for the operations team.
Physical Lab Infrastructure
Receive, commission, and stand up incoming lab equipment — instruments, servers, benches, fixtures, and rack systems.
Maintain equipment health, calibration records, and maintenance schedules across the lab.
Own equipment ordering, shipping, and receiving; negotiate with suppliers and manage vendor relationships.
Collaborate with site services and facilities to maintain and improve physical lab infrastructure to support system deployments.
Coordinate rack build scheduling; prepare lab areas to streamline installation and deployment.
Process & Cross-Functional Coordination
Define, document, and continuously improve lab operational processes from receipt through system integration.
Identify and escalate workflow bottlenecks with structured mitigation proposals.
Work closely with validation engineers, electrical engineers, firmware engineers, and program managers to maintain clear understanding of lab priorities and design requirements.
Oversee system validation test activities where relevant — including understanding schematics, coordinating PCB rework, and supporting measurement setups.
You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)
Bachelor's degree in a technical field, or equivalent hands-on experience in a lab or hardware operations environment.
5+ years of experience in lab operations, test operations, hardware infrastructure, or a related field; including at least 1–2 years in a supervisory or coordination role.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams, prioritize effectively under pressure, and drive tasks to closure.
Technical depth sufficient to engage with hardware validation workflows — ability to read schematics, understand PCB-level debug concepts, and oversee rework activities.
Strong cross-functional communication skills; comfortable interfacing with engineers, managers, vendors, and site services.
Experience owning physical infrastructure: equipment ordering, commissioning, calibration, and facilities coordination.
Proficiency with project tracking tools (Jira, Notion, spreadsheets, or similar) for status and workflow management.
Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and operate with high ownership in a fast-moving environment.
Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)
Background in semiconductor, AI hardware, or data center infrastructure.
Experience at a hardware startup where operational processes were built from scratch.
Familiarity with bring-up, validation, or screening workflows for complex PCBs or ASICs.
Experience managing external vendor or contract relationships (rework houses, mechanical assembly partners, facilities contractors).
Proficiency with Figma, Google Driver, or similar tools for lab documentation and site planning.
Experience with high-tech construction or lab buildout project management.
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
Daily lunch and dinner in our office
How we’re different
Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs.
We are a fully in-person team in San Jose and Taipei, and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.
