Senior Lead Engineer UPW/WW

Exyte GmbH•Phoenix, AZ

26d

About The Position

The Senior Lead Engineer UPW/WW serves as Exentec’s senior-most technical authority for high-purity water (UPW), RO/DI, reclaim/reuse, and industrial wastewater treatment (IWT) systems supporting semiconductor fabs, advanced manufacturing sites, and mission-critical data centers. This role provides deep technical leadership across design, system performance, operations, troubleshooting, reliability engineering, contamination prevention, and environmental compliance. The Senior Lead Engineer UPW/WW establishes global engineering standards, leads complex investigations, ensures water quality and environmental stability, and provides high-level support for both facility expansions and high-volume daily operations. The role also interfaces with clients and supports new business pursuits by articulating Exentec’s technical approach and capabilities. Operating in a 24×7 environment, this position requires exceptional technical depth, rigorous quality discipline, and the ability to support global teams with urgency and precision.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
12+ years of experience with UPW, RO/DI, industrial wastewater treatment, or high-purity process water systems—semiconductor experience strongly preferred.
Expert knowledge of: o RO, EDI, IX, UF, UV, degas, filtration, DI recovery o IWT systems: metals removal, neutralization, oxidizers, ammonia, HF treatment o Water quality analytics (TOC, Na, Si, resistivity, DO, pH, ORP, turbidity) o Distribution systems and materials (PVDF, PFA, SS316L, PP)
Strong background in process controls, SCADA systems, and instrumentation.
Proven ability to lead technical investigations, develop engineering countermeasures, and resolve contamination or discharge issues.
Ability to travel 30–40% to support global sites.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineering license (PE or international equivalent).
Experience in semiconductor manufacturing (preferred) or similar high-purity water environments.
Experience designing or optimizing reclaim/reuse systems and advanced treatment technologies.
Familiarity with environmental permitting, sampling protocols, and regulatory reporting.

Responsibilities

Serve as the global Subject Matter Expert (SME) for: o Ultra Pure Water (UPW)/RODI systems: MMF, RO, EDI, mixed beds, degas, TOC UV, sterilization UV, UF, distribution loops o Industrial Waste Treatment (IWT) including acid/alkali neutralization, metals removal, oxidizers, ammonia treatment, biological systems, sludge handling o Wastewater reclamation, including RO reclaim, microfiltration, and high-recovery water systems
Maintain Exentec’s global engineering standards, design criteria, material specifications, FAT/SAT/commissioning protocols, and quality thresholds.
Review and approve designs, P&IDs, PFDs, process control strategies, analytical equipment selections, and hydraulic modeling.
Provide technical sign-off for modifications, system upgrades, MOC reviews, and energization/startup plans.
Own water quality standards and ensure compliance with client specifications and industry norms (ASTM DI/UPW, SEMI F063/F064, etc.).
Lead failure mode analysis, contamination investigations, abnormal water events, and system upsets.
Develop high-reliability strategies for UPW, RO/DI, and IWT infrastructure, including redundancy planning and critical component monitoring.
Oversee capacity planning, quality trending, response matrices, and predictive analysis.
Analyze SCADA/PLC data for performance optimization, membrane health, mixed bed performance, oxidation events, and reclaim variability.
Provide Tier-3 engineering support to global sites for complex water-related issues
Develop corrective actions, engineering countermeasures, and recovery plans for water quality deviations.
Support emergency response during critical water events affecting fab tools, environmental discharge, or facility uptime.
Ensure compliance with environmental permits, discharge limits, hazardous waste regulations, and chemical handling requirements.
Lead environmental risk assessments, spill response strategies, and incident investigations for water systems.
Establish safe procedures for chemical injection systems (antiscalant, SBS, caustic, acid, ferric, polymer, chlorine, UV, etc.).
Drive global compliance with safety standards and facility-level requirements for handling high-risk water treatment chemicals.
Develop training programs for: o UPW fundamentals and distribution o RO/DI fundamentals and membrane diagnostics o IWT processes, sampling, and regulatory compliance o Contamination prevention and response o Water analytical instrumentation (TOC, Na, Si, DO, resistivity, pH, turbidity)
Mentor engineers and technicians, strengthen technical talent, and lead global knowledge-sharing.
Build internal databases, lessons learned repositories, troubleshooting guides, and instrumentation calibration standards.
Support creation of digital tools for water quality dashboards, reclaim optimization, lifecycle tracking, and automated reporting.
Develop Auditing program to ensure sites are compliant with service delivery expectation
Act as the technical lead during client discussions on water quality requirements, discharge standards, optimization strategies, and capacity needs.
Provide expertise during RFP responses, scope development, and solution design for new business pursuits.
Participate in client workshops, site walkthroughs, and technical presentations to demonstrate Exentec’s capabilities.
Identify cost-saving opportunities through reclaim optimization, energy/water efficiency, membrane upgrades, and chemical reduction strategies.