Sr Principal Process Development Engineer - Livermore, CA, United States
$136,200 - $178,815 USD yearly
Originally posted 30 September 2026 by the employer.
This role focuses on Surface Mount Technology processes in probe card manufacturing.
About the role
The Sr Principal Process Development Engineer is responsible for owning, optimizing, and supporting Surface Mount Technology processes used in probe card manufacturing, ensuring high-quality PCB assembly and stable process capability.
What you'll do
- Develop, qualify, and maintain SMT processes, solder paste selection, reflow profiling, and placement parameters.
- Provide daily engineering support for SMT equipment such as stencil printers, pick-and-place machines, and reflow ovens.
- Monitor and analyze yield, defect Paretos, and SPC trends to identify systemic issues.
- Lead DfX (Design for Assembly, Design for Manufacturability) discussions with design engineering.
- Support production technicians with process deviations, equipment issues, and new product introductions.
- Lead Lean/6σ initiatives to reduce waste, improve flow, and enhance process robustness.
What you'll need
- 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years experience.
- Strong understanding of solder paste behavior, reflow principles, component placement strategies, and defect mechanisms.
- Hands-on experience with SMT equipment and inspection systems (SPI, AOI).
- Proficiency with SPC, FMEA, DOE, and root cause problem solving.
- Experience in probe card, semiconductor test hardware, or high-precision PCB manufacturing.
Nice to have
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
- 3–7 years of SMT or PCB assembly experience.
- Familiarity with high-density BGAs, fine-pitch components, and micro-assembly.
- Knowledge of CAM/EDA data for stencil/paste aperture optimization.
- Lean/6σ Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- Experience with MES systems and factory automation.
Skills: SMT processes, PCB assembly, reflow oven, yield improvement, SPC
This role has been open 9 days — well below the 52-day median for Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering roles.
Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering · Manufacturing Equipment
|
Open roles in category
2412
|
Median days open
52 d
|
Median salary
$99k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | FormFactor | All employers we track in this specialty (2412 roles · 77 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 41 | 2412 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 103 | 9796 · 108 employers |
| Median days open | 44 d | 52 d (−8 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $99k |
Skills observed across this category: SMT processes, PCB assembly, reflow oven, yield improvement, SPC
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 382 open roles · median 80 d
- Entegris · 250 open roles · median 29 d
- Applied Materials · 235 open roles · median 39 d
- Lam Research · 106 open roles · median 51 d
- Infineon Technologies · 88 open roles · median 52 d
- ASML · 75 open roles · median 69 d
How we counted: 2412 open Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering (Manufacturing Equipment) roles from 77 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.