Equipment Department Manager

Keysight Technologies, Inc.•Santa Rosa, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Keysight's High Frequency Technology Center (HFTC) in Santa Rosa, California, is seeking an Equipment Department Manager to lead a 52-person organization of equipment engineers, an equipment engineering manager, equipment technicians, and technician supervisors. The department supports four semiconductor factories on a 24x7 basis. The manager will scale the team to match rapid factory growth and shift the department from reactive repairs toward keeping the fabs running through proactive reliability. The role calls for a self-directed, strategic leader who can leverage the team to identify issues, build solutions, and drive results with minimal direction. The manager leads safety and quality, builds a high-performing and accountable team, and defines a clear vision for equipment performance. They will develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, improve equipment uptime and factory output, and use KPIs and data analytics to identify chronic issues and prioritize improvements. The role also includes scaling staffing and skills, developing training and certification programs, and strengthening technical coverage across all shifts. The manager partners with stakeholders in construction, facilities, safety systems, procurement, factory operations, and senior leadership to support installations, capacity expansions, infrastructure, and equipment readiness. They also manage the department's OPEX and CAPEX budgets, capital plans, service contracts, vendor agreements, consumables, and spare-parts spending. Candidates must be local to or willing to relocate to Santa Rosa, California. The role requires authorization to access export-controlled items under U.S. export control laws and regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 10 years of experience in semiconductor or advanced manufacturing equipment engineering or maintenance.
At least 5 years leading managers or supervisors in a shift-based, 24x7 environment.
Demonstrated success shifting an equipment organization from corrective to preventive maintenance and improving uptime.
Experience scaling an engineering and technician organization through rapid factory growth.
Track record of building rigorous training programs and strengthening 24x7 support coverage.
Proven experience managing department budgets, including OPEX, CAPEX, service contracts, and consumables.
Working knowledge of semiconductor fab equipment, maintenance management systems, and reliability practices.
Strong executive communication and ability to influence across construction, facilities, safety, and procurement.
Ability to operate independently with sound judgment.
Must be local to or willing to relocate to Santa Rosa, California.
Must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual with U.S. government authorization for access to export-controlled items.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Compound semiconductor experience, including GaAs or InP.

Responsibilities

Lead with a zero-incident mindset and enforce safety standards and behaviors across equipment areas and shifts.
Maintain process and procedural discipline and reduce maintenance errors through training, coaching, and standardized work.
Transform the organization from reactive repair to proactive reliability, improving equipment uptime and factory output.
Define and communicate a vision for equipment performance and translate it into goals, metrics, and behaviors across teams and shifts.
Build a high-performing team culture based on integrity, accountability, trust, and ownership of outcomes.
Transition from mostly corrective maintenance to mostly preventive and predictive maintenance, with clear targets and progress tracking.
Develop preventive maintenance programs, spare-parts strategies, and reliability practices that reduce unplanned downtime.
Use real-time KPIs and data analytics to identify chronic equipment issues, remove bottlenecks, and prioritize improvements.
Champion Lean practices and structured problem solving focused on uptime, quality, and cost.
Scale department headcount, skills, and structure to match factory growth, including hiring and capacity plans.
Build a rigorous training and certification program for technicians and engineers.
Strengthen 24x7 coverage across shifts, including technical depth, handoffs, and escalation paths.
Set expectations and coach supervisors, technicians, and engineers on accountability, teamwork, and growth.
Partner with stakeholders in construction, facilities, safety systems, and procurement on equipment installations, capacity expansions, and infrastructure support.
Represent equipment readiness and constraints to factory operations and senior leadership and make data-driven recommendations on priorities and trade-offs.
Engage vendors and suppliers to secure service support, spare parts, and timely equipment delivery.
Own the department OPEX and CAPEX budgets; forecast, track, and report spending against plan.
Develop and justify capital plans for new tools, upgrades, and capacity expansions.
Manage service contracts and vendor agreements to balance cost, response time, and equipment uptime.
Control consumables and spare-parts spending through usage tracking, inventory management, and cost-reduction initiatives.
Align budget priorities with factory growth plans and recommend trade-offs to senior leadership.