Director - R&D, Advanced Technologies - Milpitas, CA, United States

Originally posted 15 September 2026 by the employer.

About the role

This role involves advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across R&D and advanced technologies within KLA's Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit, specifically focusing on the SensArray division's in-situ measurement and process control solutions.

What you'll do

• Define and execute the long-term SensArray technology, innovation strategy & roadmap.
• Drive N+1 and N+2 product planning and technology incubation efforts.
• Identify industry technology inflections, emerging market trends, and disruptive competitive developments.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of innovation programs from concept through commercialization.
• Build and lead high-performing multidisciplinary engineering & R&D teams to achieve strategic objectives.

What you'll need

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Semiconductor Engineering, or related technical field.
• 15+ years of experience in semiconductor equipment, metrology, sensors, process control, or related technology industries.
• 8+ years of leadership experience managing engineering and technical development organizations.
• Demonstrated track record delivering innovative technology programs from concept through commercialization.
• Experience developing long-range technology roadmaps and R&D investment strategies.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes and technology trends.
• Exceptional communication and executive presentation skills.
• Experience with sensors, advanced packaging technologies, process monitoring systems, thermal characterization, automation, AI-enabled analytics, or industrial sensing solutions.
• Experience with modeling and simulation related to thermal, plasma and mechanical properties inside the semiconductor process flow.
• History of successful patent generation and technology commercialization.
• Experience working directly with leading semiconductor manufacturers and research organizations.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect technology strategy to revenue growth and market expansion.
• Experience leading globally distributed engineering organizations.

Skills: R&D, technology roadmap, semiconductor process characterization, innovation programs, metrology