Job Specifications
Job Title: Director of Research and Development
Must be able to relocate to Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Role Overview
The Director of Research and Development will lead and scale the company’s operational backbone as it transitions from R&D into customer pilot projects and commercial deployment towards the manufacturing of next generation of flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. This role is critical in translating cutting-edge materials and mechanical engineering innovation into reliable, repeatable, and cost-effective operations. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience in deep-tech environments, manufacturing scale-up, and cross-functional leadership. Ideal candidate should also have first-hand experience with managing an R&D team consisting of materials scientists and mechanical engineers and establishing project timelines for achieving most efficient daily operational flow.
Responsibilities
Manage a team of material scientists and mechanical engineers to prioritize day-to-day activities, as well as keep track of longer-term goals
Lead R&D strategy for coatings development, interfacial adhesion properties optimization between multilayer inorganic thin films, and delamination equipment development
Build scalable processes that support the transition from lab-scale validation to pilot and production-scale operations
Establish KPIs and operational metrics to track efficiency, yield, cost, and delivery performance
Oversee process documentation, SOPs, quality controls, and continuous improvement initiatives
Identify and mitigate technical and operational risks during scale-up
Drive a culture of operational excellence, safety, and accountability
Establish project management and prioritization of all R&D development to meet customer deliverables and commercialization schedule
Prepare and present the R&D updates to the CEO and the board on a regular basis
Willing and capable to doing hands-on work with R&D teams
Create and secure intellectual property for Omniply
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field (Master’s or PhD preferred)
5–10+ years of experience in operations, manufacturing, or process engineering within deep-tech, advanced materials, semiconductor, MEMS, or hardware startups
Demonstrated experience scaling technologies from lab or pilot stage to commercial production
Strong understanding of materials processing, mechanical systems, and manufacturing workflows
Proven ability to operate in fast-paced, ambiguous startup environments
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with delamination, thin films, substrates, bonding/debonding, or precision materials processing
Key Competencies
Strong execution mindset with attention to detail
Ability to communicate effectively with highly technical teams and non-technical stakeholders
Data-driven decision-making and problem-solving skills
Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves leadership style
Why Join Us
Opportunity to commercialize breakthrough materials technology with real-world impact
Leadership role in shaping operations from the ground up
Close collaboration with world-class materials scientists and engineers
Competitive compensation, equity participation, and growth potential
About the Company
Omniply makes it possible to create any thin film electronic device (such as sensors, displays, memory) on flexible substrates.
By using a proprietary delamination technique, Omniply can create high performance electronic devices on flexible substrates without compromising device performance, or without changing the manufacturing infrastructure. This delamination technique makes the process not only cheaper, but also more simple and eco-friendly, compared to traditional delamination methods. In addition, it overcomes resol...
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