Principal NPI Product Engineer

Semtech•San Diego, CA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

Semtech’s New Product Introduction (NPI) Product Engineering Team owns new product development from conception through end-of-life, working across internal functions to define testability, characterization, yield and cost optimization, and transfer products to full-volume manufacturing. The Principal NPI Product Engineer owns NPI programs from early-stage silicon development through production transfer, serving as a technical contributor and program driver for high-performance optical and analog/mixed-signal ICs in CMOS and BiCMOS technologies. The role partners with design, validation, test, characterization, quality, reliability, applications, marketing, and operations teams. It leads NPI program execution, DfT and DfM activities, ATE test development and optimization, product characterization and data analysis, yield improvement, manufacturing quality, and failure analysis. The position is hybrid, based in Burlington or Ottawa, Ontario, or Bristol, UK, with four days in the office Monday through Thursday.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or a related field; a Master’s degree is strongly preferred.
10 or more years of experience in semiconductor product engineering, test engineering, or design engineering.
Proven ownership of silicon bring-up, characterization, and production transfer programs.
Hands-on experience with ATE test development, ATE-to-bench correlation, and production test limit setting.
Strong foundation in DfT and DfM principles.
Proficiency with statistical analysis tools such as JMP or Excel.
Scripting or automation experience in Python, TCL, or an equivalent language.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Background in analog/mixed-signal or optical IC characterization, including TIA, CDR, LimitAmp, or high-speed SerDes.
Familiarity with high-speed ATE platforms such as Advantest or Teradyne.
Experience with JEDEC reliability qualification methodologies, including HTOL, HAST, ESD, and latch-up.
Exposure to ATPG, MBIST, or boundary-scan DFT flows.
Experience engaging directly with foundry and OSAT partners.

Responsibilities

Drive NPI programs from product concept through final release, ensuring products conform to specifications and transfer seamlessly to full-volume manufacturing.
Lead and coordinate cross-functional teams, including Design, Marketing, Validation, Test Engineering, Characterization, Quality & Reliability, Applications Engineering, and Operations.
Own backend NPI development tracking through product transfer and lead milestone reviews covering program logistics, timelines, and deliverables.
Prepare and own NPI product release deliverables and OSAT-related manufacturing documentation.
Define and drive Design for Testability (DfT) and Design for Manufacturability (DfM) requirements for NPI products.
Lead development, implementation, verification, and optimization of ATE test programs in collaboration with test engineering.
Drive product characterization, correlation, and release activities to ensure adherence to specifications and quality standards.
Own finalization of datasheet specifications and ATE production test limits using data-driven, statistically validated limit-setting processes.
Develop and own product characterization plans for wafer-level and bench tests across product specifications and operating conditions.
Lead analysis of ATE and bench characterization results across PVT variations, including ATE-to-bench correlation studies and process capability analysis.
Drive yield modeling and lead DOE planning and execution for yield analysis, test time reduction, and test optimization.
Lead product validation and reliability qualification activities with Test, Characterization, Validation, and Reliability Engineering teams.
Identify yield-loss Pareto opportunities and drive targeted solutions to closure.
Monitor yields and quality metrics across processing steps, identifying and acting on trends and anomalies.
Review and own test coverage, test limits, and guard-band decisions.
Lead failure analysis and root cause investigations for field returns and RMA cases; drive CAPA development and closure.
Partner with foundry process and packaging engineering teams to resolve issues during wafer fabrication, packaging, die sort, and final package test.
Identify and implement product lifecycle cost-reduction and continuous-improvement opportunities.