Engineering Manager, Frontend Compiler

About OLIX

AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

The Role

AI is growing faster than any technology in history and the explosion in demand has created a massive infrastructure gap; we can no longer build chips or power stations fast enough to keep up. The industry is still leaning on a ten-year-old hardware blueprint that has reached its limit. A new paradigm that is faster and more efficient will be the biggest economic opportunity of the next century and create the most important company of the next decade. OLIX is building this next paradigm; the Optical Tensor Processing Unit (OTPU) achieves performance and energy efficiency that is impossible to match from existing chips.

As Engineering Manager, Frontend Compiler, you will lead a high-impact team of 6 engineers responsible for the frontend of the OTPU compiler stack, from ML framework ingestion through MLIR-based IR design, transformation, and lowering interfaces. You will partner closely with backend compiler, architecture, and customer integration teams to ensure frontend decisions translate into a seamless customer experience that maximizes hardware performance.

We are looking for an experienced engineering manager to lead an outstanding team of engineers to deliver direct customer and business outcomes. You bring deep technical judgment and a track record of building healthy teams that execute decisively at pace with tight cross-functional collaboration across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the frontend compiler roadmap aligning to OLIX’s core business objectives and timeline to maximize customer and business outcomes.
• Build a healthy, high-performance culture that balances innovation, speed, and operational excellence.
• Establish a culture of technical excellence, establishing strong design review practices, clear technical ownership, and predictable execution in a fast-moving hardware/software co-design environment.
• Partner closely with customer teams, backend compiler, and architecture team to ensure seamless customer experience and maximize hardware performance and usability.
• Guide technical decision making to ensure long-term sustainability is balanced with short-term deliveries.
  
  

Skills & Experience

• Proven engineering leadership delivering complex long-term projects in ambiguous, fast-moving with direct accountability for the team's execution.

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• Deep technical experience with the full software development lifecycle of frontend ML compilers (MLIR, Shardy, TOSA, Linalg), including MLIR-based dialect formation, operator lowering, framework integration (PyTorch/JAX), and support/maintenance traceability and debugability.
• People leader who coaches, develops, and empowers engineers and managers alike to perform at their best.
  
  

Compensation & Equity

• Competitive Salary: £208,000+, commensurate with your experience, skills, and location.
• Equity & Ownership: Meaningful stock options. You’re not just joining the mission; you’re owning a piece of it.
• Proximity Bonus: We value your time. To minimise your commute and maximise your life, we offer a £24k annual Living-Local Bonus if your residence is within 20 minutes of the office.
  
  

Health & Wellbeing

• Premium Healthcare: Comprehensive BUPA medical and dental cover, including Medical History Disregarded (MHD), for complete peace of mind.
• Time Off: 25 days of annual leave, plus all UK bank holidays.
  
  

The Workspace & Tech

• Elite Hardware: M4 Macs come as standard, with M4 Pro upgrades for our engineering team. We will provide whatever you need to do your best work.
• Optimal Environment: High-spec noise-cancelling headphones and a fully ergonomic workstation designed for deep focus.
• Rapid Prototyping: Access to our high-performance 3D printing lab for work, experimentation, and personal creative projects.
  
  

Life at the Office

• Chef-prepared meals: if you need to work late.
• Caffeine on Us: We’ve got you covered with a tab at our favourite local coffee shop.
  
  

Relocation & Global Mobility

• Visa Sponsorship: We hire the best in the world. We offer full UK and international visa sponsorship.
• Seamless Relocation: Whether you’re moving across the country or across the globe, our dedicated relocation partner provides funding and concierge support to get you settled.
  
  

Due to U.S. export control regulations, candidates’ eligibility to work at OLIX depends on their most recent citizenship or permanent residency status. We are generally unable to consider applicants whose most recent citizenship or permanent residence is in certain restricted countries (currently including Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Venezuela). Applicants who have subsequently obtained citizenship or permanent residency in another country not subject to these restrictions may still be eligible.