Director, Battery Engineering, Manufacturing & Operations

KLA•Baldwin Park, CA

3d•$174,300 - $305,000•Onsite

About The Position

KLA is seeking a Director of Battery Engineering, Manufacturing and Operations to lead and scale manufacturing operations for its emerging Battery Division in Los Angeles. This role is responsible for driving manufacturing strategy, operational excellence, and new product introduction (NPI) for advanced battery solutions. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills in high-tech manufacturing environments, with a proven track record of delivering scalable, high-quality products. This position requires cross-functional collaboration with engineering, supply chain, and product management. The Director will lead a team focused on the development and manufacturing of solid-state thin-film batteries to support next-generation in-situ semiconductor metrology tools.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s Level Degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s Level Degree with a minimum of 12 years of relevant experience.
Technical degree in a relevant area (Material Science, Chemistry/Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent).
10+ Years of experience in Manufacturing and Operations.
5+ years of experience in R&D.
7+ years of leadership experience in leading large teams (>20).
Strong background in engineering, battery chemistry and data analysis.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of experience in vacuum deposition or thin film deposition.

Responsibilities

Drive capacity planning, cost optimization, and operational scalability.
Establish robust manufacturing processes for high-mix, low-volume and/or volume ramp scenarios.
Maintain high yield for sustaining products and increase yield for New Products.
Ensure a proper balance between sustaining operations and R&D Engineering.
Ensure proper scheduling of New Product Introduction (NPI).
Partner with R&D and division personnel to establish a roadmap for new battery technologies.
Lead engineering to ensure seamless transition from development to volume manufacturing.
Own manufacturing readiness, DFM (Design for Manufacturing), and product release quality.
Drive beta builds, engineering validation, and manufacturing qualification.
Provide technical insights in Product Life Cycle (PLC) phases.
Implement continuous improvement initiatives (Lean, Six Sigma, automation) to improve yield, cycle time, and cost.
Ensure compliance with quality systems, reliability targets, and regulatory requirements.
Lead Root Cause Analysis and resolution of manufacturing and field-related issues.
Correlate battery failure modes caused by manufacturing tools, packaging tools, and supporting tools.
Support Quality Control efforts, including data analysis, documentation, and establishing new tools PM processes for yield and reliability improvement.
Participate in team efforts that address reliability issues.
Develop leadership bench strength and technical expertise across the team.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.