Field Service Engineer IV (C4) - Technical Lead

About the role

As a Field Service Engineer IV (C4) - Technical Lead, you'll serve as Applied’s direct liaison with our customers and quickly solve high-value problems on their behalf. By collaborating closely with our customers onsite to install, maintain, and upgrade Applied Materials equipment, and with our internal teams to improve business processes, you’ll make a significant impact on ensuring peak performance and deliver exceptional service, while becoming an integral part of Applied Materials' dynamic field team.

Culture Points

We empower our Field Service Engineer IV (C4) - Technical Lead through comprehensive on-the-job training and the use of advanced digital tools and immersive technology, including Augmented Reality (AR) to support the systems and processes that underpin everyday semiconductor chip production.

Success Profile

• Problem Solver
• Communicator
• Collaborative
• Industrious
• Results Driven
• Trustworthy

Benefits

• Compensation & Benefits: You qualify for a competitive and comprehensive total rewards program starting on Day 1.

• Wellness: Our Employee Assistance Program, meditation and family support resources, travel insurance, and other options enhance your physical, emotional, social, and financial wellbeing.

• Development & Training: Take advantage of free career development and mentoring programs, as well as technical and professional courses.

• Work-Life Balance: We offer generous Flexible and Paid Time Off for employees to support their goals and lives outside of work.

• Community: Join one of our 30+ Employee Resource Group chapters, attend Fun@Work Events, and find a sense of belonging among our global team.

• Giving: Our worldwide “Giving” program encourages employees around the globe to donate money and volunteer their time, and the Applied Materials Foundation matches employee contributions.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Troubleshooting: Act as the technical authority for CVD equipment hardware and process performance. Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex equipment failures, including: Mass Flow Controller (MFC) failures, Vacuum pump malfunctions, Heater and temperature control breakdowns, Gas delivery issues and leak detection. Perform deep root cause analysis for repeat failures, defect excursions, and film non-uniformity. Escalate and drive closure of critical, chronic, or high-impact tool issues.
• Equipment & Process Expertise: Maintain strong hands-on expertise in CVD process fundamentals and chamber hardware. Support and optimize CVD platforms from AMAT, ASM, or LAM. Understand interactions between process conditions, hardware health, defectivity, and yield. Partner closely with process engineering to debug defects, uniformity loss, and process drift.
• Fab Operations & Resource Management: Allocate engineering resources to daily assignments based on fab priorities and tool status. Own machine availability and performance metrics for assigned CVD tools. Balance corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, and improvement activities to support production demand.
• Coaching & Team Development: Observe, coach, and mentor junior engineers and technicians directly on the fab floor. Establish best practices for troubleshooting, diagnostics, and equipment recovery. Provide technical guidance during high-pressure tool down or yield-impacting events.
• Continuous Improvement & Data Analytics: Drive Continuous Improvement Projects (CIP) focused on hardware reliability, uptime, and cost reduction. Lead structured data collection, failure trend analysis, and performance monitoring. Generate clear documentation and reports capturing lessons learned and corrective actions.
• Cross-Functional & Business Interface: Translate complex technical field issues into clear, actionable communication for Business Units. Interface with equipment vendors to resolve systemic issues and drive design or hardware improvements. Communicate technical risks, priorities, and progress to fab and operations leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of semiconductor industry experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Field Service Engineering
• Process Engineering
• Manufacturing / Fab Engineering
• Strong hands-on experience supporting CVD equipment in a production fab environment.
• Proven expertise in CVD hardware, process interactions, defectivity, and uniformity troubleshooting.
• Direct experience with AMAT, ASM, or LAM CVD tools.
• Solid understanding of vacuum systems, gas delivery, thermal control, and equipment safety systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and resolve complex technical issues in high-volume manufacturing.

Education

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in:
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Master’s degree (MS) preferred in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.

Preferred Attributes

• Strong ownership mindset for equipment uptime and fab performance.
• Data-driven problem solver with structured root cause analysis skills.
• Ability to coach and technically influence engineers without direct authority.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills across technical and business audiences.
• Comfortable operating in high-pressure, fast-paced fab environments.