Senior Advanced Control & Automation Engineer- Semiconductor Equipment

Axcelis Technologies•Beverly, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Axcelis Technologies develops innovative capital equipment for the semiconductor industry. Our Platform Controls team develops control architectures, industrial automation solutions, and advanced control algorithms that enable reliable, high-performance operation of complex subsystems. As part of the Platform Controls team, this role is for a creative, self-motivated controls engineer to develop, integrate, and maintain industrial automation and control systems for robots, actuators, heaters, I/O devices, and other subsystems used in wafer handling and process equipment. The ideal candidate brings strong experience with PLC programming, MATLAB-based modeling and analysis, EtherCAT networks, FPGA-based controls, and advanced control methods including artificial neural networks (ANN) and machine learning (ML). We are seeking a Senior Advanced Controls & Automation Engineer to support the design, development, integration, testing, and deployment of advanced control and automation systems for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This role is intended for candidates with 3–10 years of experience and is broad enough to accommodate engineers with strengths in PLC-based automation, real-time control systems, motion and industrial network integration, FPGA-based control implementation, controls modeling, and intelligent control methods. The ideal candidate is technically strong, hands-on, and able to contribute across multiple phases of the product lifecycle while working with cross-functional engineering teams.

Requirements

3–10 years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, motion control, robotics, semiconductor equipment, or related electromechanical systems.
Strong understanding of control theory fundamentals, industrial automation architectures, servo systems, and system-level integration.
Hands-on experience with PLC programming, automation sequencing, industrial I/O, and machine control concepts.
Experience with MATLAB for modeling, analysis, control design, data visualization, or simulation.
Experience with EtherCAT-based systems, industrial communication networks, and distributed control architectures.
Experience with FPGA-based controls, real-time hardware implementation, or high-speed control interfaces.
Familiarity with advanced controls, such as model-based control, ANN, ML, or other data-driven control and diagnostics approaches.
Ability to troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, controls, and software interactions in complex systems.
Ability to interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical drawings.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and hands-on debugging skills.
Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work across cross-functional teams.
Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of managing work across multiple priorities in a fast-paced engineering environment.
Ability to work in a cleanroom environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with PLC platforms, structured text, ladder logic, or other industrial automation programming environments.
Experience with EtherCAT masters, servo drives, remote I/O, and distributed motion/control systems.
Working knowledge of MATLAB/Simulink, LabVIEW, Python, or similar engineering and data analysis tools.
Experience with FPGA development workflows or collaboration with FPGA design teams for real-time controls implementation.
Familiarity with advanced controls, data-driven methods, ANN, ML, or predictive diagnostics in industrial systems.
Experience with semiconductor manufacturing equipment, vacuum systems, or other complex automated equipment.
Ability to work onsite a minimum of three days per week.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, integrate, and support industrial automation and control systems used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and related electromechanical subsystems.
Develop and maintain PLC-based control logic, industrial automation sequences, interlocks, alarms, and machine state control for complex equipment.
Design, configure, and validate EtherCAT-based control networks and interfaces for servo drives, remote I/O, sensors, actuators, and distributed subsystems.
Support FPGA-based controls development and integration for high-speed or deterministic control functions, signal processing, and hardware interfacing.
Use MATLAB and related engineering tools for controls modeling, simulation, tuning, data analysis, and performance optimization.
Develop, implement, or evaluate advanced control strategies including model-based control, ANN, and ML approaches for improved system performance, diagnostics, or predictive capabilities.
Lead or support system integration, debug, root-cause analysis, and performance optimization during development, qualification, and production support.
Create and execute test plans, analyze system behavior and data, and document results to verify functionality, performance, and reliability.
Collaborate with software, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, systems, and field teams to resolve technical issues and improve product performance.
Contribute to design reviews, DFx efforts, risk reduction, and continuous improvement initiatives related to controls robustness, manufacturability, and serviceability.
Travel domestically and internationally as required (typically less than 10%).