Equipment Engineering Manager

Equipment Engineering Manager (Semiconductor Dry Etch, PVD, CVD)

Applied Materials is seeking an experienced Equipment Engineering Manager Lead to drive equipment performance, reliability, and operational excellence across Dry Etch, CVD, and PVD platforms. This role combines deep technical expertise with hands-on leadership of engineers and technicians, supporting equipment installation, qualification, uptime improvement, and manufacturing success in a high-volume semiconductor environment.

Key Responsibilities

Equipment Reliability & Performance

• Own equipment performance, availability, uptime, and reliability metrics across assigned toolsets.
• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) for equipment failures, recurring defects and implementing effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Develop and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to minimize downtime and improve tool performance.
• Partner with spare parts, logistics, and support organizations to maintain equipment readiness and maximize equipment availability.
• Utilize SPC, equipment health monitoring, and data analytics to proactively identify risks and drive continuous improvement.
  

Process & Technical Support

• Collaborate with process engineering teams to understand process requirements and translate them into equipment solutions.
• Troubleshoot equipment-driven process excursions, chamber matching issues, particle performance challenges, and yield-impacting events.
• Support process qualifications, engineering evaluations, hardware upgrades, and productivity improvement projects.
• Act as the technical escalation point for complex equipment issues and drive timely resolution with internal and customer stakeholders.
  

Team Leadership & Technician Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of equipment engineers and technicians, fostering a strong culture of accountability, safety, and technical excellence.
• Manage technician performance, capabilities, shift coverage, training plans, and workforce development.
  

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Drive initiatives focused on productivity improvement, cost reduction, and operational efficiency.
• Champion 6S, EHS compliance, and best practices across equipment maintenance and service operations.
• Monitor and report key KPIs including uptime, MTBF, MTTR, PM compliance, response time, and customer satisfaction metrics.
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Minimum 8 years of semiconductor equipment experience with either team lead or technician supervision.
• Strong technical expertise in one or more of the following areas: Dry Etch, CVD, PVD (Sputter Deposition)
• Proven experience in equipment installation, qualification, troubleshooting, maintenance, and reliability engineering.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes and high-volume fab operations.
• Experience leading teams of engineers and technicians, including workforce planning, coaching, performance management, and skill development.
• Proficiency in RCA methodologies, SPC, FMEA, and data-driven problem-solving techniques.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to work effectively with all the operation stakeholders.

Position requires understanding of Applied Materials global Standards of Business Conduct and compliance with these standards at all times. This includes demonstrating the highest level of ethical conduct reflecting Applied Materials' core values.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.