Manufacturing Test Quality Engineer IV - Austin, TX, United States
$116,000 - $159,500 USD yearly
Originally posted 11 September 2026 by the employer.
About the role
The Manufacturing Test Quality Engineer bridges high-complexity test engineering with advanced quality assurance methodologies within the semiconductor capital equipment sector. This role is responsible for designing, validating, and optimizing production-line testing processes for complex systems such as lithography, CVD, and etch systems, ensuring strict adherence to cleanroom, SEMI, and hardware reliability standards.
What you'll do
- Define, validate, and document new manufacturing test plans, modify fixture design and diagnostic hardware interfaces during the New Product Introduction (NPI) phase.
- Develop, pilot, and troubleshoot automated test scripts and software packages utilizing Mayan & Python to conduct automated tool-level diagnostics.
- Lead structured failure investigations (e.g., 8D, CAPA, 5 Whys) for structural dropouts and complex hardware failures.
- Continuously monitor and analyze First-Pass Yield (FPY) data, identifying trends, structural anomalies, and implementing preventative corrective actions.
- Perform Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) and Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility (Gage R&R) studies to confirm test station reliability and eliminate measurement drift.
- Ensure testing protocols fully adhere to strict cleanroom contamination regulations (ISO Class 4 / Class 100 protocols) protecting delicate vacuum and optical subsystems.
- Partner directly with NPI Process and Hardware Design groups to integrate critical test access paths, diagnostic loops, and physical test nodes into equipment designs.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Applied Physics, or a strongly related engineering discipline.
- 7-10+ years of engineering experience working within semiconductor manufacturing, complex medical equipment manufacturing, or high-tech aerospace/capital hardware.
- Hands-on experience diagnosing or validating high-power Radio Frequency (RF) generators, ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environments, gas delivery manifolds, or precision optical/laser alignment mechanisms.
- Deep working knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Six Sigma methodologies.
- Strong familiarity with SEMI Standards (specifically SEMI S2 safety guidelines, SEMI S8 ergonomics) and comprehensive ISO 9001 compliance standards.
- Proficiency in data analysis suites (Minitab, JMP) alongside technical test development tools (Mayan, Python).
Skills: production-line testing, lithography, CVD, etch systems, cleanroom
This role has been open 33 days — well below the 54-day median for Semiconductor Equipment Engineering roles.
Semiconductor Equipment Engineering · Manufacturing Equipment
|
Open roles in category
3787
|
Median days open
54 d
|
Median salary
$126k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Applied Materials | All employers we track in this specialty (3787 roles · 83 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 619 | 3787 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 1113 | 9890 · 109 employers |
| Median days open | 52 d | 54 d (−2 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $126k |
Skills observed across this category: production-line testing, lithography, CVD, etch systems, cleanroom
Who's hiring in this category
- Applied Materials (this employer) · 616 open roles · median 54 d
- Lam Research · 563 open roles · median 42 d
- Micron Technology · 284 open roles · median 42 d
- KLA Corporation · 246 open roles · median 67 d
- ASML · 188 open roles · median 69 d
- ASM International · 162 open roles · median 83 d
How we counted: 3787 open Semiconductor Equipment Engineering (Manufacturing Equipment) roles from 83 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 15 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.