Director Manufacturing & Automotive Operations

Are you enthusiastic about working on the next (re)evolution occurring in vehicle-integrated photovoltaics? Do you want to lead the transition from breakthrough innovation to industrial execution?

Join us on our mission!

Working at Lightyear is a unique experience. You get the opportunity to work for a company with a pure and meaningful mission. A mission that will make a positive and lasting impact on future generations.

About Lightyear

Lightyear develops vehicle-integrated solar technology that enables electric vehicles to charge themselves using sunlight. Our ambition is to increase range, efficiency, and energy independence in next-generation mobility.

The company is moving from early-phase innovation toward industrialization and series production, supplying solar and electronic components for integration into OEM platforms. This shift requires structure, discipline, and operational excellence, without losing the pioneering spirit that defines us.

The challenge

Lightyear is scaling product, process, and organization at the same time, while aligning with the standards, expectations, and pace of the automotive industry.

As Director Operations & Automotive Industrialization, you will:

• Build the foundation for reliable, compliant, and scalable operations

• Align a young, ambitious organization around clear ways of working

• Introduce the governance, systems, and discipline expected by OEMs

• Translate potential into repeatable, measurable performance

Your scope & responsibilities

This is a hands‑on leadership role with real ownership, not an advisory position. You will have end‑to‑end responsibility for shaping and embedding Lightyear’s automotive operating model. This includes:

• Owning and delivering the Supplier Readiness & Industrialization roadmap
• Defining and embedding management systems aligned with IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, VDA
• Establishing governance, KPIs, escalation routines, and performance management
• Building manufacturing capabilities for solar and electronics components, together with strategic partners
• Leading supplier development, sourcing, and industrialization programs
• Implementing ERP / MES / PLM and digital traceability to support compliance and efficiency
• Driving Lean and pragmatic operating principles that scale without unnecessary bureaucracy
• Strengthening cross‑functional collaboration and decision‑making
• Developing leadership cadence and operational maturity within the team

Leadership expectations

Lightyear is a growing organization with strong technical depth and a relatively young leadership layer. Success in this role depends as much on leadership presence as on technical expertise.

• Translates strategy and roadmaps into executable systems & processes
• Creates clarity, structure, and accountability
• Brings people-focused leadership and the ability to drive change with the team
• Focused on results and data‑driven decision making
• Moves comfortably between board‑level alignment and operational reality

Background

You bring proven experience as an operations or industrialization leader within:

• Automotive Tier‑1 or Tier‑2 suppliers, e‑mobility, or advanced electronics manufacturing
• Complex, international supply chains (Europe and Asia)

You have:

• Knowledge of IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, Lean/Agile manufacturing, and industrialization
• Led scale‑ups, transformations, or step‑change performance improvements
• Built or matured supplier ecosystems and manufacturing partnerships
• A track record of implemented systems, measurable results, and cultural impact

Education

Engineering degree required; post‑graduate business or management education is a plus. Languages: Fluent in English; Dutch is helpful.

Apply for the job

Do you want to join our team as our new Director Manufacturing & Automotive Operations? Then we'd love to hear about you!