Wafer Fab Supervisor

Semtech•City of Industry, CA

1d•$82,000 - $117,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Wafer Fab Supervisor leads process technicians and operators carrying out daily wafer fabrication for InP photonic device lines, including InP Buried Heterostructure (BH) DFB lasers and BH Gain Chips (GC). The role is accountable for safe, on-schedule, high-yield production across photolithography, PECVD, dry etch, wet etch, and metallization, including Mesa etch and MOCVD epitaxial regrowth support steps used to form the buried heterostructure. The Supervisor sets priorities, balances staffing and tool capacity, and ensures adherence to Process-of-Record (POR) requirements in a III-V cleanroom environment. Working with Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Quality, and Production Planning, the Supervisor drives throughput, cycle time, and yield; directs escalation and root-cause response for process excursions; and develops technicians and operators through coaching, training, and clear performance expectations to support reliable, high-volume manufacturing. The position is onsite in Rowland, California. It may require flexibility to support engineering runs, excursions, or production needs outside standard shift hours. A reasonable estimated pay range is $82,000–$117,000.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, or a related technical field preferred; an associate degree with equivalent experience is considered.
8–12 years of experience in semiconductor or photonics wafer processing, including direct III-V/InP process experience.
2–3 years of experience in a lead, supervisory, or team leadership role in a wafer fab or similar high-volume manufacturing environment.
Hands-on production experience across photolithography, PECVD, dry etch, wet etch, and metallization, with direct III-V/InP experience in each area.
Strong working knowledge of the complete III-V device wafer fab process flow and technical depth to supervise, troubleshoot, and cover all process areas, including in-line metrology.
Ability to support any fab process area and cross-train and qualify technicians across modules to build flexible shift coverage.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop technician and operator teams in a high-volume production environment.
Ability to manage throughput, cycle-time, and WIP targets and prioritize competing demands.
Working knowledge of SPC, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methods.
Strong understanding of cleanroom, chemical, and process gas safety requirements.
Effective communication and collaboration with technicians, operators, engineers, planning, and management.
Proficiency with MES or lot-tracking systems and standard office software.
Ability to work in a cleanroom for extended periods across multiple process bays.
Ability to work around chemicals, including acids and solvents, process gases, and precious metals, following proper safety procedures.
May require flexibility to support engineering runs, excursions, or production needs outside standard shift hours.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, or a related technical field.

Responsibilities

Plan and direct daily wafer fab production across photolithography, PECVD, dry etch, wet etch, and metallization to meet wafer-out, throughput, and cycle-time targets for InP BH DFB laser and BH GC products.
Set lot priorities and sequence hot lots, engineering wafers, and standard production lots with Production Planning to sustain tool utilization.
Conduct shift handoffs and daily production meetings; track work-in-process, tool status, and line constraints; and resolve bottlenecks proactively.
Coordinate tool downtime, preventive maintenance, and repair priorities with Equipment Engineering to protect production schedules.
Oversee supplies, consumables, and chemical and gas inventory, escalating shortages that threaten production schedules.
Review lot travelers, process records, and hold/release dispositions to ensure complete and accurate documentation.
Lead, schedule, and assign technicians and operators to maintain coverage across fab process areas and shifts.
Set performance expectations, coach and provide feedback, complete performance reviews, and address performance and attendance issues with Human Resources.
Develop and maintain training and certification programs, including cross-training across lithography, thin film, etch, and metallization modules.
Participate in hiring, onboarding, and retention of fab technicians and operators, and promote team ownership, accountability, and open communication.
Ensure adherence to POR, recipes, and work instructions; review SPC charts and out-of-control events with process owners to confirm corrective action.
Direct escalation and response to process excursions and drift, partnering with Process Engineering on root-cause investigations and verified corrective actions.
Monitor yield, defect, and rework trends and work with Process Engineering and Quality to prioritize improvements.
Support DOEs, process qualifications, and NPI process runs by scheduling resources and coordinating tool and lot availability.
Enforce EHS requirements for chemical, process gas, and precious metal handling, cleanroom protocols, and equipment lockout/tagout; lead safety briefings and incident reporting and follow-up.
Ensure compliance with quality-system, document-control, and training-record requirements.
Lead continuous improvement projects to improve throughput, cycle time, yield, cost, and cleanroom efficiency.
Maintain production metrics and communicate performance, risks, and resource needs to fab management.