Director - Applications

ESI•San Jose, CA

About The Position

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions is seeking an experienced, forward-thinking Global Applications Director to lead application development for ActiveCopper, its next-generation copper paste and sintering platform. The role may be based at an existing MacDermid Alpha facility in NJ, CT, DE, or San Jose. The director leads internal application process development, customer prototypes and builds, on-site customer qualifications, equipment partnerships, application reliability methodologies, and collaborative lab management. The team applies expertise in materials science, processing, and deposition methods through structured design of experiments and statistical analysis to develop documented, optimized paste deposition processes with minimal defects and processes suitable for high-volume semiconductor and electronics manufacturing that meet customer yield targets. The role provides technical leadership and mentoring for the global ActiveCopper Applications Development and Qualifications teams, spanning managers, supervisors, engineers, and technical staff. It establishes the technical direction for application development, works closely with R&D Innovation in San Jose and PCB and IC Substrate experts in Waterbury, and collaborates with qualification teams in Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea. The director represents ActiveCopper applications with customers and internal stakeholders, participates in selected customer demonstrations and applications, engages Business Development teams throughout the adoption curve, and contributes to global technical knowledge-sharing forums. The director is also responsible for developing talent and team capability, integrating deposition processes into full board builds, ensuring appropriate experimental and metrology capabilities, and fostering collaboration across R&D, metrology, Business Development, and Product Management. The position contributes to the strategic direction of the ActiveCopper business based on application development results and industry practices. Travel of up to 50% is required.

Requirements

10–15 years of relevant technical experience in electronics manufacturing, materials science, or a related applications field.
Experience leading a group of seven or more engineers and/or scientists.
Demonstrated experience mentoring and developing team members.
Previous experience and demonstrated success in a global leadership role.
Strong ability to lead and coach teams in problem-solving through experimental design and interpretation using statistical analyses; proficiency in DOE, Six Sigma, or related methodologies.
Ability to connect business strategy, customer applications, and technical knowledge to advance the company’s commercial position.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including experience authoring technical reports and presenting to technical and customer audiences.
Willingness to travel up to 50%.
Prioritize the safety of self and team and actively contribute to a culture of safety.

Nice To Haves

Likely educational background in Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or Materials Science.
Hands-on experience fabricating semiconductor devices, microelectronics, medical devices, or printed circuitry, and experience with materials.

Responsibilities

Lead full development of the ActiveCopper paste deposition process to optimize quality and consistency and advance product maturity from Early to Capable and from Capable to Deployed.
Provide leadership, supervision, and mentoring to Applications Managers, Engineers, and Applications Technicians; develop their leadership and managerial skills and guide their development as subject matter experts in ActiveCopper application processes.
Organize and staff work with the Application Qualification Team (AQT) and Application Deployment Team (ADT) to integrate developed paste deposition processes into full board builds, including preplate, sinter, post-plate, and planarization.
Ensure the team has the skills, tools, and direction to design and execute systematic studies using advanced printing, vacuum-assisted deposition, laser stencil cutting, and sinter press equipment, producing data packages for customer qualification and scale-up.
Lead development of the AQT applications group’s customer communication and business acumen, and support customer technical reviews and troubleshooting to build trust and help customers qualify and scale ActiveCopper on their production lines.
Foster collaboration with R&D Innovation, metrology, Business Development, and Product Management to resolve chemistry, process, and equipment challenges related to ActiveCopper adoption; establish mechanisms that support collaboration.
Ensure the ADT and AQT groups have the metrology equipment needed to characterize deposit quality, board reliability, and process performance, including cross-section, SEM, AOI, and X-ray techniques.
Coach the organization in preparing and delivering technical presentations and reports to internal partners and external customers; author technical documentation and application-process best-practice guidelines.
Provide input to the ActiveCopper business unit’s strategic direction based on application development results and industry best practices.
Represent ActiveCopper applications with customers and internal stakeholders, participate in selected customer demonstrations and applications, and engage Business Development teams across the adoption curve.
Participate in regular global technical knowledge-sharing forums.
Prioritize personal and team safety and contribute to a culture of safety.
Travel up to 50%.