Equipment Engineering Manager, Wet Etch/CMP

About the Role

Work within a world-class Equipment Engineering organization alongside talented Equipment Engineers and Technicians. This role focuses on the Wet Etch Equipment Engineering area, overseeing scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, new equipment installations, startups, and continuous equipment performance improvement. You will directly manage a team of Equipment Engineers and Technicians across 4 shifts (24x7) supporting production, with a focus on Wet tools such as DNS SU2000, DNS FC-821L, SEZ223, FSI Mercury, Naura-Akrion Gama, and Rear Mount benches. Responsibilities include driving vendor activities and continuous improvement programs (CIP) while interfacing with Production, Process, R&D, Facilities, and Procurement groups.

Responsibilities

• Manage resources daily, including off-hours/weekends, to optimize equipment maintenance with a focus on top bottleneck tools. Lead problem-solving for difficult equipment failures, ensure on-time PMs, provide adequate manpower coverage, and maintain parts availability to support Production.
• Identify and initiate projects to improve equipment performance, reliability, product cycle time, and yield based on Pareto analysis to eliminate chronic/repeat failures.
• Focus on repeat down events and implement systems to ensure permanent corrective actions are taken.
• Meet set metrics goals aligned with business needs, solve obstacles, escalate issues, and secure necessary resources.
• Assign critical equipment metrics (Availability, MTBF, MTTR, CoV, wafer scrap, PM compliance) to Engineers that align with Tower Operations business requirements.
• Track and monitor engineering improvement projects and execution scheduling to ensure deadlines are met.
• Provide technical and non-technical coaching and mentoring for equipment engineering staff, resolve conflicts, and promote teamwork using 1:1 methodology.
• Manage administration activities, goal setting, Annual Performance Reviews, and track performance. Address low-performing employees and provide improvement roadmaps or disciplinary actions if needed.
• Drive quality implementation and improvement systems for Wet/CMP equipment engineering in the assigned area.
• Manage costs for the Wet/CMP department, act as the gatekeeper for budget spending to stay below planned AOP, control spare parts inventory, and reduce costs through improvement or second sourcing without compromising quality.
• Optimize service contracts to achieve low cost and adequate coverage for equipment services.
• Work with Human Resources to ensure skill requirements are planned for and met cost-effectively while maintaining a highly productive work environment.
• Participate in Wet and CMP core teams and cross-functional groups including Process, Facility, Production, and R&D.
• Maintain open communication and periodically update the team on key metrics, equipment performance, and project updates.

Requirements

• 10+ years of direct hands-on Semiconductor Fab experience in the Wet Etch area, with 3 to 5 years of management experience.
• Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis on Electrical/Electronics, Opto-electronics, Electro-mechanical Engineering, or related field experience.
• Strong leadership and management skills, including listening, communication, project management, motivational, and teamwork skills.
• Knowledge of wafer processing with a solid understanding of Wet/CMP Equipment and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of optical systems, electrical and electronic circuitry. Knowledge of lean manufacturing and Cycle Time theories is strongly preferred.

Working Conditions

Dynamic work environment with changing priorities, escalations, and high urgency to respond without delay. Hands-on support in a Fab environment includes exposure to hazards such as lasers, high voltage, RF & microwave frequency power supplies, hazardous gases, and chemicals. Occasional work in a FAB clean-room environment with repetitive motion and lifting loads up to 50 pounds; for loads exceeding 50 pounds, assistance from other technicians and adherence to safety procedures are required.

Pay

$158,000 - $173,000