Software Engineer, Chip Manufacturing - Austin, United States
Originally posted 1 September 2026 by the employer.
Build the software that runs chip fabrication.
About the role
This role involves building the software that runs chip fabrication, specifically working on the core application engineers use to define processes, run tools, track wafers, monitor equipment, and understand what happened after every run.
What you'll do
- Own core parts of the software platform that runs chip fabrication.
- Design systems that model tools, recipes, wafers, masks, and every process run through the fab.
- Build interfaces for controlling equipment and monitoring the state of the fab in real time.
- Ingest and make sense of high-frequency telemetry, video, logs, and run data from fabrication equipment.
- Develop tools for metrology, process analysis, and SPC.
- Create a complete history for every wafer, connecting its recipes, equipment state, sensor data, and results.
What you'll need
- Strong software engineering fundamentals and experience shipping production systems.
- Full-stack ability across frontend, backend, databases, and system design.
- Ability to model complex physical processes and turn them into simple, reliable software.
- Strong product instincts.
- Ability to read, write, debug, and reason about code independently.
- Strong technical communication and a high degree of ownership.
Nice to have
- Experience building MES, laboratory automation, or other software that coordinates complex physical workflows.
- Founding engineer, CTO, or early-stage startup background.
- Background working with hardware, embedded systems, robotics, or other physical systems.
- Familiarity with semiconductor equipment, process control, or fab operations.
- Hands-on work with telemetry, time-series data, industrial controls, or real-time systems.
Skills: software platform, chip fabrication, MES, process analysis, SPC, equipment control
This role has been open 42 days — below the 47-day median for Software Engineering Semiconductor roles.
Software Engineering Semiconductor · Manufacturing Equipment
|
Open roles in category
180
|
Median days open
47 d
|
Median salary
$142k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Atomic Semi | All employers we track in this specialty (180 roles · 34 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 8 | 180 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 19 | 6164 · 146 employers |
| Median days open | 41 d | 47 d (−6 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $142k |
Skills observed across this category: software platform, chip fabrication, MES, process analysis, SPC, equipment control
Who's hiring in this category
- KLA Corporation · 36 open roles · median 58 d
- Applied Materials · 31 open roles · median 21 d
- ASM International · 13 open roles · median 63 d
- Lam Research · 13 open roles · median 50 d
- Teradyne · 11 open roles · median 26 d
- Keysight Technologies · 10 open roles · median 71 d
How we counted: 180 open Software Engineering Semiconductor (Manufacturing Equipment) roles from 34 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 14 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 Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.