Product Development Engineer

KLA-Tencor was formed in April 1997 through the merger of KLA Instruments (KLA) and Tencor Instruments (Tencor), two long-time leaders in the semiconductor equipment and yield management software system industry. Prior to the merger, both businesses served a segment of the inspection and metrology area; with KLA focused on defect inspection solutions and Tencor placing its emphasis on metrology solutions.

The Product Development Engineer plays a central role throughout the different phases of the product life cycle. This position is part of a team responsible for developing and supporting in-situ optical sensor solutions for process control. The candidate will play a key role in next generation product development, from technology evaluation and selection, specifications development, product validation, verification, transfer to manufacturing, and support of customer ramp. The Product Development Engineer will maintain ownership of the product performance through the life cycle and be responsible for improvement projects and support of field and manufacturing issues. The engineer must be able to complete the initial diagnosis of any system issue, uncover root cause and devise solutions for complex problems. Must be able to support the detailed analysis and tradeoffs for the various solutions, develop plan of action, and effectively communicate plan to colleagues to execute. Must have the knowledge and experience to effectively work with experts in optics, electronics, mechanics, software, and algorithms as required to resolve issues. Some travel may be required to support manufacturing, beta tools at customer sites, and for complex escalations that require onsite support.

* Lead design efforts (or write specifications) for some components of a system, including design reviews, part procurement, test, integrate and write ECO's to release new parts. * Contribute to the prototype testing by providing input to the prototype test plan and conducting experiments to verify performance of critical components, subsystems and modules. * Provide input to the acceptance criteria for some incoming materials, including outsourced subsystems. * Setup and drive small team efforts that address product-level issues (such as design issues, supplier issues, MFG escalations, or improvement projects) * Lead development of performance and troubleshooting diagnostics for existing and new products. * Lead product or feature introduction activities including preparation of first draft of test, alignment, calibration, manufacturing, or service manuals. * Support training of operations and field personnel. * Contribute to research, evaluation, and proposals for new product features in support of customer requirements. * Develop and evaluate concepts and designs for the next generation systems. * Drive team to resolve system issues at customer site or in manufacturing. Work with engineers at locations around the globe to solve issues escalated to engineering: establish root cause, develop plan of action (POA), guide local teams in execution of POA, and standardize solutions to improve design and/or procedures. * Will require some travel (< 25%).

**Preferred Qualifications** * PhD in Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field. * Strong background in engineering or the physical sciences with demonstrated analysis and problem solving skills. * Hands-on experience constructing and aligning opto-mechanical system is highly desirable. * Experience diagnosing and driving solutions to complex problems across whole systems by applying appropriate problem solving techniques. * Ability to communicate effectively to all levels of the division, customers, vendors and across cultures. **Minimum Qualifications** * BS degree plus 5 years experience OR Master's degree plus 3 years experience OR Ph.D. degree.