Global Software Support Engineer - (E3)

Applied Materials•Santa Clara, CA

13d•$120,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world. You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. As a Global Software Support Engineer III, you will serve as a senior technical expert responsible for diagnosing, resolving, and preventing complex software issues impacting the installed product base. You will work closely with customers, field teams, product management, and software development to ensure successful deployment, qualification, and sustained performance of software releases at customer sites. This role requires strong technical depth, customer‑facing leadership, and the ability to drive cross‑functional collaboration to ensure software quality, reliability, and customer success.

Requirements

Master’s degree preferred in Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Management or a related field. Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience will also be considered.
Minimum 5+ years of experience in software product support, systems engineering, or related technical roles.
Experience supporting complex, customer‑facing software products in a production environment.
Strong understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
Hands‑on experience troubleshooting software issues using logs, simulators, and diagnostic tools.
Code analysis and debugging experience in C and/or C++.
Strong working knowledge of Windows operating systems and networking concepts.
Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and troubleshooting skills.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across global, cross‑functional teams.
Self‑motivated, adaptable, and eager to learn new technologies.
Ability to manage priorities, meet deadlines, and operate effectively with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

Basic scripting experience (e.g., Python) is an added advantage.
Familiarity with SQA methodologies and software release qualification processes.

Responsibilities

Lead investigation and resolution of complex software issues reported from customer sites and internal labs.
Review, troubleshoot, and validate customer and field‑reported issues; identify root cause and submit detailed defect reports to the development team.
Manage customer expectations and professionally handle high‑visibility software escalations to ensure software is not a showstopper for product performance or adoption.
Act as the voice of the customer, serving as the primary interface between customers, account teams, and software development.
Verify and validate software functionality against diverse customer use cases to ensure deployment readiness.
Lead cross‑platform and cross‑release software validation activities for new products and features.
Install, configure, and qualify software releases on engineering, process lab, and customer tools.
Support First‑in‑Fab (FIF) and early customer deployments to ensure smooth software introductions.
Partner with Product Management and Software Engineering on requirements gathering, specification clarification, and feature readiness.
Drive smooth transitions from development to deployment, customer acceptance, and sustained support.
Collaborate with hardware, process, and tool owners to triage and debug software, hardware, or configuration‑related issues.
Differentiate between software, hardware, and configuration issues during troubleshooting.
Perform in‑depth log analysis, simulation-based debugging, and source-code review when required.
Identify systemic issues in the software code base and proactively suggest improvements to development teams.
Develop internal software utilities and tools to accelerate troubleshooting and issue resolution.
Develop and deliver technical training for Field Software Support Engineers (SSEs) to improve response time and solution quality.
Create and maintain software documentation including troubleshooting guides, deployment procedures, and known‑issue workarounds.
Track software performance trends at customer sites and provide data‑driven feedback to product and development teams.