Division Product Development Applications Manager - Semiconductors - Milpitas, CA, United States
$117,638,200 - $172,536,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 30 September 2026 by the employer.
This role focuses on metrology solutions for film thickness, critical dimensions, composition, and resistivity measurements.
About the role
This role involves leading a team of applications engineers to drive the successful adoption and optimization of KLA's semiconductor process control solutions, influencing product roadmaps, and ensuring customer success. The Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) division delivers metrology solutions essential to advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
What you'll do
- Lead and manage a team of product development applications engineers, including performance management, career development, and technical guidance.
- Drive the definition and execution of applications strategies for new product introductions and existing product enhancements.
- Collaborate with R&D, marketing, and sales teams to translate customer challenges and market trends into product requirements and use cases.
- Act as a technical expert and primary interface with key customers to understand process flows, identify pain points, and propose KLA solutions.
- Oversee the development and delivery of technical presentations, white papers, and application notes.
- Guide the team in conducting complex product evaluations, competitive analyses, and performance benchmarks.
- Proactively identify and address technical barriers to product adoption, working with engineering teams to resolve issues.
- Contribute to strategic planning by providing insights on market trends, competitive landscape, and customer needs.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in the semiconductor industry with a strong background in process engineering, integration, or product development.
- At least 3-5 years of experience in a leadership or management role, leading technical teams.
- Deep understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes (e.g., lithography, etch, deposition, CMP) and associated metrology/inspection techniques.
- Proven ability to interact effectively with customers at all levels.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive consensus.
Nice to have
- PhD in Engineering, Physics, Material Science or related fields.
- Prior experience with KLA products or similar process control equipment.
- Computational modeling knowledge and IC processing/Semiconductor equipment understanding.
Skills: metrology systems, optical metrology, thin-film measurements, scatterometry, critical dimension metrology
This role has been open 9 days — well below the 51-day median for Semiconductor Equipment Engineering roles.
Semiconductor Equipment Engineering · Metrology Inspection
|
Open roles in category
191
|
Median days open
51 d
|
Median salary
$159k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | KLA Corporation | All employers we track in this specialty (191 roles · 23 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 73 | 191 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 454 | 9796 · 108 employers |
| Median days open | 37 d | 51 d (−14 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $159k |
Skills observed across this category: metrology systems, optical metrology, thin-film measurements, scatterometry, critical dimension metrology
Who's hiring in this category
- KLA Corporation (this employer) · 73 open roles · median 37 d
- Applied Materials · 25 open roles · median 75 d
- Onto Innovation · 18 open roles · median 71 d
- Lam Research · 15 open roles · median 39 d
- Micron Technology · 11 open roles · median 45 d
- Entegris · 9 open roles · median 72 d
How we counted: 191 open Semiconductor Equipment Engineering (Metrology Inspection) roles from 23 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 10 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.