Systems Engineer

Company Overview
KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and in 2019 we invested 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world's leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow's electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

Group/Division
The Instruments Group is passionate about development of state-of-the-art inspection and metrology equipment used in production and research and development environments. Organization is globally located in US, China, and Singapore. We provide critical cost-effective solutions for power electronics, LED, communications, automotive, data storage, and other related nanoelectronics and materials science applications. We partner with our customers to provide state of the art hardware and software to improve yield and lower overall production costs by supplying world-leading inspection, metrology and review systems. In addition to developing valuable product solutions, the group provides support to customers to achieve performance entitlement through sharing and implementation of application BKMs (Best Known Methods).

The System Design Engineer plays a central role throughout the different phases of product life cycle. This position is part of a team responsible for developing and supporting next generation Metrology systems as well as supporting and improving current systems. The position is a lead role in next generation product development, from technology evaluation and selection, specifications development, product validation, verification, transfer to manufacturing, and support of customer ramp. Responsibilities will include planning and leading experiments and trade-off studies required to make major architecture decisions for the system. The position defines top level system specifications as well as subsystem and component level specifications, system error budgets, interface definition, calibrations, and diagnostics. The candidate must be effective at leading a team of engineers to achieve program goals

The Design Engineer will ensure product performance through the life cycle and developed improvement projects to support of field and manufacturing issues. The engineer will complete the initial diagnosis of any system issue, uncover root cause and devise solutions for difficult problems. Able to provide detailed analysis and tradeoffs for the various solutions, develop plan of action, and effectively communicate plan to colleagues to execute. Must have the knowledge and experience to effectively work with team members in optics, electronics, mechanics, software, and algorithms as required to resolve issues. Some travel may be required to support product transition to manufacturing, beta support at customer sites, and for difficult issues that require onsite support.

Additional details regarding responsibilities:

• Develop and/or provide significant recommendations to the top-level system specifications, system error budget, interfaces and working parameters for the optimal hardware/software solution.
• Plan and lead experiments and conduct trade-off studies required to make major architecture decisions.
• Lead and authorize most aspects of the design for any outsourced subsystem, including vendor selection, NRE spending, specification writing, design reviews with the vendor, build, test, acceptance and successful integration into a system.
• Coach design engineers at all levels and influence the design to meet program goals.
• Develop and evaluate concepts and designs for the next generation systems.
• Resolve inconsistencies between subsystems, identify high-risk areas, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Own creation and execution of prototype test plans for entire system and subsystems. This will involve integration of subsystems, testing against design tolerances and marketing specifications, analyzing test data, and generation of reports.
• Drive product or feature introduction. This includes developing system alignment, diagnostics and calibration strategies, training of operations and field personnel, and solving technical issues that may impact product introduction and ramp.
• Drive team to resolve system issues at customer site or in manufacturing. Work with engineers at locations around the globe to solve issues raised to engineering: establish root cause, corrective actions, and document issues and solutions to improve design and/or procedures so that they may be implemented across the fleet in a standard manner.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) with at least 2 years of experience. OR Master's Level Degree with at least 4 years of experience. OR Bachelor's Level Degree with at least 5 years of experience

Preferred Qualification

• PhD in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field
• Strong background in engineering or the physical sciences with demonstrated analysis and problem-solving skills
• Experience developing optical system for imaging or inspection
• Proven ability to analyze and interpret complex system data to lead system architecture definition and develop system requirements
• Hands-on experience constructing and aligning opto-mechanical systems
• Effective communications at all levels of the division, customers, and vendors
• Project management skills (scoping, budgeting, and scheduling)

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination is required where permitted by law. KLA will consider reasonable accommodation as provided by applicable law. Please note that accommodation may not be possible where vaccination is required for an essential function of the position, including for international travel or customer site access.

The company offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package including but not limited to the following: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, financial planning benefits, employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, family care and bonding leave.

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other status protected by applicable law. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] to request accommodation.