Director of Contract Manufacturing - Fremont, CA, United States
Originally posted 21 October 2026 by the employer.
Oversee precision machining supplier operations across CNC turning, milling, grinding, and EDM for critical semiconductor equipment components.
About the role
The Director of Contract Manufacturing owns the manufacturing relationship between the organization and the precision machining supplier base. This role oversees supplier accountability and quality across machined components such as chambers, housings, brackets, shafts, plates, and assemblies.
What you'll do
- Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation for an assigned portfolio of precision machining suppliers across CNC turning, milling, grinding, EDM, and lapping processes. - Conduct regular on-site factory visits to evaluate shop floor operations, capacity utilization, tooling strategies, fixturing, and quality systems. - Lead non-conformance resolution, dimensional escapes, and surface finish rejections using structured problem-solving methodologies including 8D, RCCA, and CAPA. - Partner with Mechanical Engineering to deliver Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback on tight tolerances, deep bores, thin walls, and exotic materials. - Oversee First Article Inspection (FAI) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities, reviewing supplier control plans, inspection plans, and process capability studies (Cpk/Ppk). - Lead sourcing qualifications, capability audits, and value engineering workshops to address unit cost, lead time, and single-source risk.
What you'll need
- 10+ years of experience in precision machining, mechanical manufacturing, or supplier/factory engineering, including 3–5 years in a direct factory liaison, supplier quality, or commodity management role focused on machined components. - Deep hands-on knowledge of CNC machining processes (turning, milling, grinding, honing, EDM) and root causes of dimensional variation, surface finish issues, and scrap. - Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, including GD&T per ASME Y14.5. - Familiarity with common metrology tools and methods, including CMM programming/interpretation, surface roughness measurement, bore gauges, and optical comparators. - Experience managing suppliers of tight-tolerance, high-mix/low-volume machined components, ideally in semiconductor equipment, aerospace, defense, or medical device industries. - Willingness and ability to travel to supplier sites 30–50%.
Nice to have
- Background in semiconductor capital equipment manufacturing (etch, CVD, PVD, lithography, CMP, or similar) with knowledge of cleanliness, surface finish, and material purity requirements. - Experience with machining challenging materials such as aluminum alloys, stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, ceramics (Al₂O₃, SiC), or PTFE/PEEK plastics. - Familiarity with anodizing, electropolishing, passivation, and surface treatment processes common in semiconductor equipment components. - Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification. - Experience with ERP/MRP systems and supplier portal tools for tracking open orders, NCRs, and corrective actions. - Knowledge of industry quality standards including ISO 9001, AS9100, or SEMI standards.
Skills: precision machining, CNC, GD&T, DFM, supplier quality, CMM
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 54-day median for Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering roles.
Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering · Manufacturing Equipment
|
Open roles in category
2502
|
Median days open
54 d
|
Median salary
$100k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Ichor Systems | All employers we track in this specialty (2502 roles · 80 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 66 | 2502 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 83 | 10066 · 107 employers |
| Median days open | 56 d | 54 d (+2 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $100k |
Skills observed across this category: precision machining, CNC, GD&T, DFM, supplier quality, CMM
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 390 open roles · median 78 d
- Applied Materials · 241 open roles · median 41 d
- Entegris · 222 open roles · median 41 d
- Lam Research · 109 open roles · median 63 d
- Infineon Technologies · 94 open roles · median 52 d
- onsemi · 67 open roles · median 67 d
How we counted: 2502 open Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering (Manufacturing Equipment) roles from 80 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 21 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.