Electrical Engineer

Applied Materials • Santa Clara, CA

5d • $124,000 - $171,000

About The Position

Applied Materials' Platform Center of Excellence (PCOE) Controls Hardware Team is seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer to drive the selection, integration, validation, and deployment of industrial I/O and control system technologies used across advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The role focuses on industrial automation platforms, distributed I/O architectures, machine control systems, functional safety technologies, and control system suppliers. The engineer will work closely with internal business units, product engineering teams, and strategic suppliers to develop scalable control system solutions that improve reliability, maintainability, and standardization across Applied Materials' product portfolio.

The position calls for strong electrical and control systems knowledge, along with practical experience in industrial automation technologies such as EtherCAT, Beckhoff, DDI, PLC-based controls, distributed I/O systems, and machine safety architectures. The successful candidate will help define and deploy control system architectures, validate integrated solutions, address system-level issues, and influence automation strategy across product teams and business units.

This is a full-time regular role based in Santa Clara, California, with 10% travel. Relocation is not available. The salary range is $124,000 to $171,000. The selected candidate's salary will be based on factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. Candidates may also be eligible for a bonus and stock award program, as applicable.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• At least 7 years of experience in industrial automation, machine controls, industrial I/O systems, or semiconductor equipment development.
• Experience working with distributed I/O systems and industrial control architectures.
• Strong understanding of EtherCAT, Ethernet-based industrial protocols, and industrial serial communication technologies.
• Experience with control system integration, validation, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis.
• Familiarity with remote I/O systems, safety controllers, machine control platforms, and industrial communication interfaces.
• Strong technical communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with analog and digital mixed-signal industrial I/O solutions.
• Experience with machine safety systems and functional safety concepts.
• Knowledge of SEMI S2 and semiconductor equipment safety requirements.
• Experience with industrial automation, robotics, motion control, or semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
• Familiarity with control system qualification, verification, and reliability assessments.
• Experience managing supplier technical engagements and technology roadmaps.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, develop, and deploy industrial I/O and machine control system solutions for semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
• Define system-level requirements and architectures for distributed I/O platforms, control networks, safety systems, and machine interfaces.
• Support standardization of control system platforms across multiple product lines and business units.
• Analyze technical trade-offs involving performance, reliability, maintainability, lifecycle cost, and scalability.
• Drive technology assessments and recommendations for future control system roadmaps.
• Lead integration and validation of commercial and custom industrial I/O platforms, including controllers, remote I/O modules, communication networks, and safety systems.
• Develop validation strategies to characterize control system performance, robustness, diagnostics, and fault recovery behavior.
• Investigate and resolve complex system-level issues involving controls hardware, communication networks, I/O subsystems, and field installations.
• Support product qualification, deployment, and sustaining engineering activities.
• Support implementation of industrial communication technologies, including EtherCAT and related industrial networking solutions.
• Evaluate machine safety architectures and safety-rated control systems to ensure compliance with equipment requirements and industry standards.
• Participate in safety assessments, risk reduction initiatives, and functional safety design reviews.
• Drive standardization of safety-related hardware and control system solutions.
• Collaborate with product engineering, software, firmware, manufacturing, quality, and program management teams to deliver control system solutions meeting performance, cost, quality, and schedule objectives.
• Communicate technical recommendations, validation results, risks, and project status to stakeholders and leadership teams.
• Influence technical decisions across multiple product teams and business units.
• Provide technical leadership during architecture reviews, design reviews, and supplier engagements.
• Manage technical relationships with industrial automation and control system suppliers.
• Drive supplier roadmap alignment to support long-term platform strategies.
• Evaluate emerging automation technologies and identify opportunities for adoption.
• Support component lifecycle management, obsolescence planning, and supply chain risk mitigation.
• Coordinate supplier qualification and technology evaluation activities.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Candidates may be eligible for participation in a bonus program, as applicable.
• Candidates may be eligible for a stock award program, as applicable.
• Supportive work culture that encourages learning, development, and career growth.
• Programs and support for employee health, wellbeing, and personal and professional growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior