Role Overview
The VP, Infrastructure is a senior operational leadership role responsible for the day-to-day excellence, physical setup, and long-term sustenance of world-class semiconductor facilities within the SemiX-TRYST ecosystem. This role oversees the integration and operation of the IIT Bombay's Nanofabrication Facility (IITBNF).
The ideal candidate is a deeply hands-on operator — someone who thrives in the complexity of running a multi-user cleanroom environment, builds trust with vendors, researchers, and government stakeholders through exceptional interpersonal skills, and drives facility performance through disciplined execution rather than broad strategic vision. This is a role for a doer who leads from the front.
Why This Role Matters
India's semiconductor ambition rests on facilities like ours. SemiX-TRYST sits at the intersection of academic research, national policy, and industrial capability building. The VP, Infrastructure is the person who makes this real — ensuring cleanrooms are operational, equipment is uptime-ready, researchers have access, and the facility meets global benchmarks. Without exceptional operational leadership, the mission stalls.
Key Responsibilities
A. Facility Operations & Operational Excellence
- Own end-to-end operations of Class 100/1000 cleanroom environments, ensuring maximum uptime, safety compliance, and researcher access.
- Establish and continuously refine robust operational systems: biometric access controls, automated slot-booking (FOM-equivalent), preventive maintenance schedules, and equipment usage tracking.
- Monitor and manage critical utilities — HVAC, DI water systems, specialty gas delivery, vibration isolation — ensuring zero unplanned downtime.
- Drive a culture of operational discipline across the facility team, with clear SOPs, audit trails, and performance dashboards.
B. Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Build and maintain strong relationships with global equipment vendors (Applied Materials, Synopsys, Micron etc.) for AMC negotiations, spare parts prioritization, and service escalations.
- Serve as the primary negotiator for all vendor contracts, ensuring cost-effective, performance-backed agreements.
- Engage effectively with government bodies (MeitY, DST), institutional partners (IIT Bombay), and industry collaborators (Synopsys, Micron) to sustain and expand facility funding and capabilities.
- Represent SemiX in national networks such as INUP, benchmarking facility performance against CeNSE (IISc) and other top-tier institutions.
C. Facility Setup & Integration
- Lead the physical setup and commissioning of the Semiconductor Education Center (SEC, 12,000 sq. ft.) in line with the MeitY-approved Detailed Project Report (DPR).
- Integrate SEC capabilities with existing IITBNF assets and the Advanced Packaging Lab to create a seamless, multi-purpose fabrication ecosystem.
- Execute equipment procurement and installation with precision — managing timelines, vendor coordination, and compliance with EHS standards for hazardous materials.
D. Team Building & Leadership
- Hire, onboard, and develop a high-performing infrastructure team — facility engineers, process technicians, and facility managers.
- Establish a clear performance evaluation framework and infrastructure management ladder to drive professional growth and retention.
- Transition existing team members effectively, raising the bar on service quality and technical competence.
E. Funding & Sustenance
- Develop and execute sustenance plans by pursuing government grants and establishing industry-sponsored lab models.
- Support financial planning for facility operations — user-fee structures, cost recovery models, and budget tracking for equipment AMCs and utilities.
Qualifications
- PhD or M.Tech in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related semiconductor discipline.
- 15–20+ years of hands-on experience managing large-scale semiconductor fabrication facilities, cleanrooms, or equivalent high-tech R&D infrastructure.
- Deep technical expertise in semiconductor unit processes: lithography, etching, deposition, and metrology.
- Demonstrated track record in vendor negotiations, AMC management, and EHS compliance for nanofabrication environments.
- Prior experience in multi-user facility management (academic or industrial) with exposure to INUP, CeNSE, IITBNF, or similar ecosystems is strongly preferred.
