Process Improvement Specialist II

Tokyo Electron•Albany, OR

10d•$71,482 - $100,991•Onsite

About The Position

The WIP Expediter is a critical hands-on role within our R&D 300mm semiconductor fabrication facility. Operating in a manual-handling environment without an Automated Material Handling System (AMHS), this individual is responsible for the physical movement and strategic positioning of TEL (Tokyo Electron Limited) target lots throughout the fab to minimize queue time and maximize throughput. The Expediter acts as the operational interface between the engineering teams and fab floor personnel, ensuring that priority lots are always positioned for rapid processing and that key stakeholders remain informed of WIP status in real time.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent; Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a technical field preferred.
1–3 years of experience in a semiconductor fab, cleanroom, or high-volume manufacturing environment.
Familiarity with 300mm wafer handling, stocker systems, and manual lot movement protocols.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to build effective working relationships across organizational levels.
Comfortable spending the majority of the workday on the fab floor in cleanroom attire.
Detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple lot priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in an R&D or low-volume, high-mix fabrication environment.
Familiarity with TEL processing equipment or equivalent semiconductor capital equipment.
Working knowledge of MES platforms (e.g., SiView, Workstream, PROMIS, Fabworks, or similar).
Understanding of BEOL or FEOL process flows in a 300mm facility.
Prior experience in a dispatching, logistics, or expediting role within a semiconductor or advanced electronics manufacturing context.

Responsibilities

Physically move TEL target lots from current locations to stockers adjacent to the next planned processing tool, prioritizing queue position to reduce cycle time.
Maintain continuous situational awareness of lot locations, tool availability, and processing queues across the 300mm fab floor.
Stage lots in advance of scheduled process steps based on tool availability, maintenance windows, and engineering priorities.
Monitor lot travelers and work order documentation to ensure accurate tracking of lot status and movement history.
Respond rapidly to unplanned situations such as tool downtime, priority changes, or hold conditions by re-routing or repositioning affected lots.
Adhere to all fab safety protocols, cleanroom gowning requirements, and wafer handling procedures at all times.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with fab operators, tool owners, and process technicians to ensure TEL lots receive favorable run order consideration.
Serve as a visible and trusted presence on the fab floor; develop rapport with operations staff to facilitate informal prioritization of TEL lots within dispatch queues.
Coordinate with shift supervisors and lead operators to align TEL lot scheduling with shift changeovers, preventive maintenance schedules, and tool qualification windows.
Diplomatically advocate for TEL lot priority without disrupting overall fab productivity or violating fab WIP management policies.
Provide structured WIP status updates to engineering teams twice per day (e.g., morning and afternoon), covering: lot locations and queue positions, tool downtime events and estimated recovery times, lots requiring immediate action or at risk of missing targets, and any new holds, exceptions, or priority escalations.
Maintain a concise daily WIP log capturing lot movements, tool status, operator contacts, and any deviations from the planned sequence.
Alert engineering leads in real time of critical holds, unexpected tool outages, or significant queue disruptions affecting TEL priority lots.
Participate in daily or weekly WIP review meetings as requested, providing the floor-level perspective on cycle time risks and opportunities.
Utilize the fab's MES (Manufacturing Execution System) or equivalent tracking tools to monitor lot status, update move records, and flag exceptions.
Ensure lot travelers, traveler logs, and stocker manifests are accurate and up to date at all times.
Identify and escalate systemic bottlenecks or recurring queue issues that may require tool scheduling or capacity interventions.