Principal Algorithms Engineer (physics) - San Jose, CA, United States
$226,600 - $311,575 USD yearly
Originally posted 9 October 2026 by the employer.
Develop physics-based modeling and simulation technologies for e-beam semiconductor inspection systems.
About the role
What you'll do
- Lead the development of advanced physics-based modeling and simulation technologies, including SEM image formation, electron-beam interactions, and voltage contrast.
- Partner with computer vision and machine learning teams to integrate physics-based methods with AI-driven solutions.
- Translate complex physical phenomena into scalable, production-quality software.
- Influence technology roadmaps and strategic technical decisions across multiple engineering organizations.
What you'll need
- PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
- 8+ years of experience developing advanced algorithms, simulation technologies, or computational modeling solutions.
- Demonstrated technical leadership and a track record of driving innovation from concept to product deployment.
- Experience influencing technical direction across multiple projects or teams.
- Semiconductor industry experience strongly preferred.
- Physics-based modeling and simulation, including SEM image formation, e-beam interactions, and voltage contrast.
- Computer vision and image processing.
- Machine learning and AI.
- High-performance computing, GPU acceleration, and numerical optimization.
- C++, CUDA, Python, and modern software development practices.
- Scientific computing and large-scale algorithm development.
Skills: physics-based modeling, SEM image formation, electron-beam interactions, inspection solutions, algorithm development
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 51-day median for Semiconductor Equipment Engineering roles.
Semiconductor Equipment Engineering · Metrology Inspection
|
Open roles in category
190
|
Median days open
51 d
|
Median salary
$159k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | ASML | All employers we track in this specialty (190 roles · 25 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 4 | 190 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 339 | 9754 · 107 employers |
| Median days open | 77 d | 51 d (+26 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $159k |
Skills observed across this category: physics-based modeling, SEM image formation, electron-beam interactions, inspection solutions, algorithm development
Who's hiring in this category
- KLA Corporation · 73 open roles · median 36 d
- Applied Materials · 25 open roles · median 74 d
- Onto Innovation · 18 open roles · median 70 d
- Lam Research · 13 open roles · median 39 d
- Micron Technology · 11 open roles · median 44 d
- Entegris · 9 open roles · median 71 d
How we counted: 190 open Semiconductor Equipment Engineering (Metrology Inspection) roles from 25 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 9 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.