Senior Certification Specialist

SEMI • Milpitas, CA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Certification Specialist will be the subject-matter expert for a SEMI Certification program. You will drive the accreditation process with a recognized Accreditation Body (AB) such as ANAB or A2LA, lead the development of certification schemes for semiconductor equipment, and work cross-functionally with SEMI technical committees, member companies, and industry stakeholders to build a world-class, internationally recognized certification infrastructure. This is a full-time, exempt position and reports to the Senior Manager, Business Development at the SEMI Milpitas Office.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of professional experience in conformity assessment, certification, quality systems, or standards-related roles, preferably in a technical industry.
• Deep working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17065 (certification bodies for products/processes/services) and its implementation requirements.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17025 (testing and calibration laboratories) and ISO/IEC 17020 (inspection bodies) as they relate to supporting certification activities.
• Demonstrated experience developing or auditing quality management system documentation (procedures, work instructions, records control).
• Understanding of semiconductor device manufacturing processes and the role of capital equipment in the fab environment.
• Excellent technical writing skills; ability to produce clear, unambiguous normative documents, procedures, and certification scheme specifications.
• Strong project management capabilities with ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholder groups, and external timelines concurrently.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or advanced coursework in a relevant engineering or science discipline
• Direct experience achieving ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation with ANAB, A2LA, or an equivalent IAF-recognized Accreditation Body.
• Experience authoring certification schemes under ISO/IEC 17067 or analogous frameworks (e.g., IECEE CB Scheme, OSHA NRTL programs).
• Active certification such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), ISO Lead Auditor (ISO 9001 or 17065), or RABQSA/Exemplar Global credentials.
• Hands-on engineering or quality experience with semiconductor equipment OEMs (e.g., Applied Materials, Lam Research, ASML, KLA, Tokyo Electron) or IDMs/foundries.
• Familiarity with SEMI Standards content, particularly E-series (equipment), M-series (materials), and S-series (safety) standards.
• Experience working with trade associations, standards development organizations, or industry consortia.

Responsibilities

• Lead all activities required to achieve and maintain ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation for SEMI as a Certification Body, working with an Accreditation Body such as ANAB or A2LA.
• Develop and maintain SEMI’s Quality Management System (QMS) documentation, including the certification body manual, operational procedures, and internal audit framework in conformance with ISO/IEC 17065 requirements.
• Manage accreditation application submissions, witness audits, and surveillance cycles; serve as the primary liaison to the Accreditation Body.
• Establish and maintain impartiality committee structures and conflict-of-interest policies as required under ISO/IEC 17065.
• Develop and oversee corrective action and continual improvement processes in response to audit findings.
• Author and maintain certification schemes for semiconductor fabrication equipment in accordance with ISO/IEC 17067 principles, specifying applicable SEMI Standards, normative requirements, testing/inspection methods, sampling rules, and decision rules.
• Coordinate with SEMI technical committees and global standards working groups to align certification scheme requirements with current and emerging SEMI Standards.
• Define and document evaluation procedures, including product sampling, type testing, factory inspection, and surveillance requirements for each scheme.
• Establish criteria for selection and qualification of testing laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025-accredited) and inspection bodies used in conformity assessment.
• Maintain scheme documents through formal revision cycles and ensure traceability to underlying normative standards.
• Apply working knowledge of semiconductor capital equipment — including etch, CVD/PVD deposition, lithography, CMP, diffusion, implant, and metrology/inspection systems — to ensure certification scheme requirements are technically sound and industry-relevant.
• Translate relevant SEMI Standards (including E, M, and S-series) into actionable conformity assessment criteria.
• Evaluate technical equivalencies between global standards (IEC, SEMI, ANSI, ISO) where they bear on certification scope.
• Engage fab operators, device makers (e.g., IDMs, foundries), and semiconductor equipment suppliers (e.g., OEMs) to understand certification requirements from an end-user perspective and incorporate requirements into scheme design.
• Serve as primary point of contact for member companies seeking certification, guiding applicants through the evaluation process from initial inquiry to certificate issuance.
• Build and manage a qualified pool of technical experts and auditors to conduct product evaluations and factory assessments; provide orientation and ongoing calibration on SEMI scheme requirements.
• Represent SEMI in industry forums, standards committee meetings, and regulatory discussions related to conformity assessment and product certification.
• Develop training materials, webinars, and guidance documents to raise industry awareness of the SEMI Certification Program and its value proposition.
• Collaborate with SEMI Business Development, Marketing, and Government Relations teams to promote program adoption and grow the certified product portfolio.

Benefits

• work-life balance
• career opportunities such as rotational assignments
• opportunities to connect and interact with world leaders, industry legends, and rising stars

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior