Automation / Controls Engineer - San Diego, CA, United States
$115,200 - $158,400 USD yearly
Originally posted 16 September 2026 by the employer.
Work on the development, integration, and support of automation and control loops for the EUV light source system.
About the role
As an Automation/Controls Engineer, you will lead integration activities and provide technical ownership for control, optimization, or calibration subsystems in the EUV light source. This role involves complex control algorithms, real-time embedded software, and high-speed electronics.
What you'll do
- Lead and perform integration activities, including designing and executing test plans, and troubleshooting the control system.
- Provide technical ownership for control, optimization, or calibration subsystems to troubleshoot systems and control loops.
- Facilitate clear communication of technical issues and development activities across Integration, Customer Support, and other relevant teams.
- Monitor and report system and plasma submodule performance, identify performance gaps, and define solutions or improvements.
- Plan, coordinate, and execute subsystem- and system-level integration activities for automation and control functions.
- Analyze test results using time-series data, equipment logs, diagnostic signals, statistical methods, and engineering analysis tools.
- Contribute to development, simulation, implementation, and tuning of complex algorithms involving controller design, optimization, system identification, signal processing, and stochastic signal analysis.
- Design and build tools that allow debugging, analysis, and performance evaluation of algorithms.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s degree in Controls, Mechanical, Computer, Chemical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering or Physics.
- At least 2 years of relevant experience.
- Experience designing and implementing practical feedback control or optimization systems.
- Knowledge of modern control theory, optimization, stochastics, and some nonlinear control theory.
- Excellent knowledge of and experience with Matlab and Simulink.
- Ability to translate and statistically analyze large amounts of data and effectively report problems.
- Ability to carry out typical lab activities, such as mount/unmount electrical modules, connecting cables, and reading LED status.
Nice to have
- Master's degree.
- Specialization in advanced control systems or plasma physics.
- Courses in Linear systems, feedback control, optimization, signal processing, estimation, system identification, and non-linear systems.
- Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Databricks, Grafana, Spotfire).
- Working knowledge of C/C++ and Python.
This role has been open 27 days — well below the 55-day median for Semiconductor Equipment Engineering roles.
Semiconductor Equipment Engineering · Manufacturing Equipment
|
Open roles in category
3759
|
Median days open
55 d
|
Median salary
$126k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | ASML | All employers we track in this specialty (3759 roles · 83 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 198 | 3759 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 333 | 9815 · 109 employers |
| Median days open | 68 d | 55 d (+13 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $126k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Applied Materials · 611 open roles · median 55 d
- Lam Research · 543 open roles · median 42 d
- Micron Technology · 287 open roles · median 42 d
- KLA Corporation · 249 open roles · median 70 d
- ASML (this employer) · 196 open roles · median 68 d
- ASM International · 162 open roles · median 82 d
How we counted: 3759 open Semiconductor Equipment Engineering (Manufacturing Equipment) roles from 83 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 14 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family row. Figures refresh nightly.