Lead Industrialization & Manufacturing Engineer

Spore.Bio is a deeptech startup born in 2023, building a new paradigm in quality control systems for Food & Beverage, Cosmetics, and Pharmaceutical factories. Traditional quality control has heavy constraints and long waiting times. To change that, we are developing a new generation of microbiological testing based on advanced photonic and deep-learning technologies, detecting bacterial contamination within seconds.

Lead Industrialization & Manufacturing Engineer

As we scale the production of Louis, our flagship detection instrument, from 30–50 units per year to hundreds, you will design and build our production line from scratch, ensuring the high quality and repeatability demanded by pharma, F&B, and cosmetics customers. You will own this transition end-to-end: from the factory floor and supply chain to the quality systems and manufacturing team. Reporting directly to the Head of Engineering, you collaborate closely with Hardware, Technology, and Product teams. This is one of the most strategic and high‑impact roles at Spore.Bio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the scale and manufacturing operations: defining roadmap, milestones, and investment required.
• Design and implement the production line for Louis: assembly stations, tooling, workflows, and cycle‑time targets.
• Define and enforce assembly processes, work instructions, and quality checkpoints at every stage of the product.
• Drive continuous improvement of yield, throughput, and cost per unit as volume scales.
• Own the relationship with existing CDMO partners, ensuring continuity of supply and quality while building internal capabilities.
• Build and manage the supplier base for mechanical, optical, electronic, and consumable components.
• Negotiate contracts, lead times, and quality agreements with strategic suppliers.
• Develop procurement processes to ensure supply continuity as production ramps.
• Anticipate bottlenecks and build contingency into the supply chain before they become critical.
• Build the quality management system for manufacturing, from final acceptance testing to in‑process controls, incoming inspection, and full traceability.
• Establish clear quality criteria and failure‑mode analysis (FMEA) for critical components and assemblies.
• Drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions on production defects and field returns.
• Ensure manufacturing processes meet standards required by regulated environments (GMP, ISO 13485, etc.).
• Hire, structure, and lead the industrialization team as production scales.
• Define roles needed at each growth stage and build the team ahead of the curve.
• Foster a culture of rigor, ownership, and continuous improvement on the production floor.
• Work closely with Hardware to ensure designs are manufacturable at scale (DFM/DFA).
• Collaborate with Product and CS to translate field feedback and customer constraints into manufacturing requirements.
• Contribute to CAPEX planning, production cost modelling, and operational roadmap discussions with leaders.

Must‑Have Experience

• Industrialization track record: built or significantly scaled a production line for a complex hardware product.
• Player‑coach instinct: comfortable on the floor and in leadership meetings, able to design assembly processes and present roadmaps.
• Supply‑chain ownership: managed a supplier base for multi‑component hardware, including negotiations, quality agreements, and crisis management.
• Quality mindset: implemented quality systems, understood FMEA, process control, and traceability.
• Structuring ability: built scalable, clear, documented processes that survive team growth and higher volumes.

Nice to Have

• Deep‑tech or precision hardware background (optical instruments, medical devices, robotics, drones, defense hardware).
• Experience with regulated manufacturing (GMP, ISO 13485).
• Early‑stage experience: transition from prototype to product in a fast‑growing company.
• DFM/DFA fluency: challenge design upstream before manufacturing problems arise.
• CAPEX and cost modelling experience.

Soft Skills

• Hands‑on and ownership‑oriented.
• Rigorous yet adaptable.
• Clear communicator across disciplines.

Why Join Us

• Build the industrialization function from the ground up.
• Work on a product at the frontier of photonics, AI, and industrial microbiology.
• Have direct, visible impact on growth and customer service.
• Collaborate with exceptional hardware engineers, microbiologists, and AI researchers.
• Evolve in a collaborative, ambitious, high‑standards environment.

Benefits & Environment

• Flexibility and trust: choose remote or office in Paris with no constraints.
• Gym subscription and healthy lifestyle support.
• Premium health insurance (Alan).
• Swiggy meal card if based in France.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Spore.Bio is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected status.