Sr. Systems Design Engineer

KLA•Milpitas, CA

2d•$159,500 - $271,200•Onsite

About The Position

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us. With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) Division provides industry leading metrology solutions for worldwide semiconductor IC manufacturers. The FaST Division portfolio of metrology products includes hardware and software solutions for optical film thickness, optical critical dimension (CD), composition, and resistivity measurement systems. These products are essential for the IC manufacturers as they provide critical metrology capabilities for the development and implementation of their advanced IC processes. The FaST division is committed to support our customers to achieve performance entitlement of our solution and we effectively partner with our customers from their early research and development phase to the high volume in-line manufacturing implementation specific for their process needs. The division consists of a global team located in US, Israel, China, and India.

Requirements

Ph.D. with 3+ years, Master’s with 5+ years, or Bachelor’s with 7+ years of relevant experience
Strong foundation in physics, engineering, or related field, with system-level problem-solving capability
Hands-on experience with hardware systems (e.g., vacuum systems, optics, or advanced instrumentation)
Proficiency in data analysis and programming (Python or equivalent)
Experience working in a cross-functional product development environment
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
Up to 20% global travel required
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 6 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years

Nice To Haves

Experience with X-ray metrology, scattering techniques, or electron/ion-based systems
Experience developing hardware for the semiconductor capital equipment industry is preferred.
Familiarity with AI/ML-based or data-driven metrology approaches

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and prototype metrology systems and subsystems, ensuring performance, serviceability, manufacturability, and reliability.
Lead system-level integration across hardware and data flows, bridging R&D and high-volume manufacturing environments.
Participate in full product life cycle (PLC) development for current and next-generation products.
Perform system modeling, error budgeting, and data-driven performance optimization.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, manufacturing, and service) to define requirements and system architecture.
Drive performance improvement, cost reduction, and reliability enhancement.
Develop and deploy data analysis and automation solutions (e.g., Python-based tools) to improve engineering productivity and system insight.
Create and maintain detailed documentation, including design reviews, specifications, and test plans.
Provide technical support and root cause analysis for manufacturing ramps, field issues, and customer escalations.
Partner with external vendors and suppliers to develop and qualify subsystems and components.