Head - CTO Engineering

Applied Materials•Santa Clara, CA

2d•$280,000 - $385,000

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. At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. The Head – CTO Engineering provides strategic leadership and direction to diverse new and emerging technology development and product commercialization programs. This role is accountable for the performance and results of multiple programs, across global regions, or engineering divisions within CTO and in coordination with various business units. The leader develops, drives, and executes cross-functional engineering strategies aligned with company and CTO objectives. Decisions are guided by corporate strategy, long range technology/product roadmaps, and business priorities. Responsible to plan and execute architectural designs, tools engineering, assembly, performance testing, safety compliance, process optimization, throughput/yield optimization as a pathway to commercialize products, develop prototypes, HVM scaling.

Requirements

15+ years of engineering leadership experience, including leading large, matrixed, multi-region organizations.
Proven expertise in technology development, productization, and managing disruptive technology programs.
Strong track record of collaborating with academic institutions, research organizations, and technology partners.
Demonstrated ability to strategize, influence, and execute at executive levels.
Advanced degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field (Ph.D. preferred).
The role requires extensive experience building and leading high performing‑ engineering organizations, including driving complex concept to‑ ‑commercialization programs and defining long range technical strategy. It also demands deep expertise‑ collaborating across divisions, COEs, external labs, universities, startups, and suppliers to accelerate disruptive technology development and evaluate emerging opportunities with strong technical diligence. Finally, success in this role depends on leading senior engineering leaders across the global locations, setting engineering direction, and overseeing product architecture, design, program execution, and infrastructure readiness while engaging effectively with executive ‑level stakeholders.
Internal application: someone who had led engineering teams to develop new applications and commercialize new products.

Responsibilities

Strategic Vision & Long‑Range Planning
Define long-range engineering strategies for existing and new emerging product roadmaps aligned with corporate priorities.
Review engineering specifications, system architectures, program milestones, budgets, and costs—providing strategic leadership and corrective actions where needed.
Engineering Organization Leadership
Build, support and lead high‑performing engineers with deep technical expertise to support and grow disruptive technology programs from concept and feasibility (C&F) through full productization.
Collaborate with business marketing and technical teams to ensure the products are ready for high volume manufacturing and commercialization.
Establish a culture of innovation, accountability, technical rigor, and operational excellence.
Collaboration & Ecosystem Development
Partner with Program leaders within Applied to enable faster commercialization.
Partner closely with Applied Materials Centers of Excellence (COEs), startups, external laboratories, universities, and suppliers to accelerate learning, enhance technical capability, and drive rapid development of innovative new and emerging programs.
Oversee alignment with customer requirements, market needs, business goals, project budgets, and release schedules.
Interface with executive-level internal and external stakeholders on highly complex engineering issues, product improvements, platform decisions, and future product strategies.
Technical Diligence & Program Evaluation
Provide expert technical evaluation for assessing disruptive opportunities, including feasibility, scalability, risk assessment, and commercialization potential.
Define frameworks and processes for evaluating new technology platforms.
Evaluate technology viability, maturity, and readiness for potential integration and productization.
Lab Infrastructure & Operations
Collaborate with operations teams to design, set up, and scale laboratory infrastructure necessary to support diverse technology development programs.
Ensure labs meet technical, safety, and operational standards.
Leadership of Complex Engineering Programs
Direct a senior engineering organization consisting of directors, senior managers, and senior technical leaders responsible for concept definition, architecture, design, development, and commercialization of highly complex engineering programs.
Represent the engineering function as part of senior business leadership teams to ensure initiatives address high‑value problems across divisions and segments.
Performance Metrics & Reporting
Define engineering performance metrics, KPIs, and success criteria.
Report progress against complex division-level goals and drive continuous improvement initiatives.