Principal Systems Engineer

Onto Innovation•Budd Lake, NJ

19h•$130,000 - $195,000

About The Position

Onto Innovation is seeking a highly experienced Principal Systems Engineer to lead the architecture, integration, and validation of complex systems for advanced semiconductor Films and OCD metrology equipment. The role provides technical leadership across optics, mechanics, electronics, software, and controls, defining system-level requirements and ensuring cross-functional alignment from concept through production. The Principal Systems Engineer serves as a technical authority, resolving complex system-level challenges that affect performance, reliability, and scalability.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Engineering, such as Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, Physics, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in complex system design and integration.
Proven systems engineering experience in semiconductor equipment, photonics, aerospace, or precision instrumentation industries.
Strong understanding of multidisciplinary systems involving mechanics, optics, electronics, controls, and software.
Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
Strategic thinking and a strong system-level perspective.
Exceptional problem-solving and debugging skills in complex systems.
Strong leadership and technical mentorship capabilities.
Effective communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to manage ambiguity and drive decisions in complex environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with semiconductor metrology, inspection, or lithography systems.
Knowledge of precision motion systems, optics, vacuum systems, or laser-based instrumentation.
Familiarity with modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink.
Experience defining system error budgets and performance modeling.
Exposure to cleanroom environments and high-reliability systems.

Responsibilities

Define and own system architecture for complex, high-precision equipment.
Translate product requirements into detailed system specifications and subsystem requirements.
Lead trade studies, system partitioning, and design decisions across multiple engineering disciplines.
Serve as the technical lead and decision-maker for system-level design reviews.
Develop, manage, and maintain system requirements, including traceability and validation.
Define and control mechanical, electrical, optical, and software system interfaces.
Ensure subsystem designs align with overall system performance requirements.
Lead system integration and identify and resolve cross-domain issues.
Develop system-level test plans, validation strategies, and acceptance criteria.
Drive root cause analysis and resolution of system performance issues.
Establish system error budgets, performance models, and sensitivity analyses.
Ensure system stability under thermal, vibration, and contamination conditions.
Lead system-level design for reliability, maintainability, and manufacturability.
Collaborate with optical, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering teams.
Interface with product management, manufacturing, quality, and field service teams.
Mentor junior engineers and influence technical direction across the organization.
Support project planning, risk assessment, and milestone delivery.
Identify technical risks and implement mitigation strategies.
Support customer engagements and translate application needs into system capabilities.