Test Systems Engineer, Test Excellence

Applied Materials•Austin, TX

17h•$116,000 - $159,500

About The Position

The Test Systems Engineer, Test Excellence, turns real-world failures and emerging risks into test solutions that prevent defects from reaching Applied Materials factories and customers. The role defines system-representative test requirements and develops, validates, and deploys test fixtures and systems, owning solutions from initial insight through sustained production impact. The engineer challenges assumptions with evidence, works across suppliers and engineering teams, and helps develop the methods and standards that define Test Excellence globally. The position is based in Austin, Texas, or Santa Clara, California, and requires travel 25% of the time. Relocation is eligible. The salary range is $116,000–$159,500. Compensation depends on factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity. In addition to comprehensive benefits, candidates may be eligible for bonus and stock award programs, as applicable.

Responsibilities

Use field failures, factory nonconformances, failure analysis, 8D findings, FMEA/FMECA risks, and test data to identify gaps in existing assurance methods.
Translate failure mechanisms and real-world operating conditions into specific, measurable test requirements that engineering teams and suppliers can execute.
Define functional, parametric, stress, burn-in, thermal, RF, high-voltage, leak, particle, interlock, and other tests to expose targeted failure modes before products reach factories or customers.
Evaluate legacy test methods, inherited limits, and accepted practices using engineering judgment, structured problem solving, evidence, and experimentation.
Own test solutions from concept through sustained deployment, including feasibility, technical concepts, specifications, statements of work, cost and schedule, design, sourcing, build, bring-up, validation, and production implementation.
Establish correlation, repeatability, reproducibility, measurement capability, calibration requirements, and acceptance criteria, and demonstrate test effectiveness with objective evidence under production-representative conditions.
Deploy test systems at suppliers and Applied factories; resolve implementation issues, coordinate engineering changes, and ensure solutions are practical, scalable, and production-ready.
Establish preventive maintenance, calibration, out-of-tolerance response, configuration control, data retention, and performance-monitoring requirements for deployed test systems.
Monitor detection effectiveness, test-system performance, false failures, escapes, NCs, DMRs, and other quality and operational indicators to verify effectiveness and identify improvements.
Use lessons from escapes to improve supplier test mandates, Functional Requirements Documents, FMEA/FMECA, Design for Testability, and applicable product-lifecycle deliverables.
Drive complex initiatives across suppliers, factories, Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Supplier Engineering, NPI Quality, Product Quality & Reliability, and business-unit teams; communicate technical conclusions, risks, decisions, and business impact clearly.
Create reusable requirements, methods, standards, specifications, and validation practices; mentor engineers, transfer knowledge, and strengthen organizational Test Excellence capability.