Sr. Reliability Engineer - SEM Systems - Milpitas, CA, United States
$167,300 - $284,400 USD yearly
Originally posted 20 July 2026 by the employer.
SEM systems
About the role
As a Sr. Reliability Engineer for SEM Systems at KLA Corporation, you will focus on resolving reliability challenges, identifying failure mechanisms, and driving solutions to improve system performance and uptime. This hands-on role supports the e-Beam division's advanced scanning electron microscopy tools used for wafer inspection and review.
What you'll do
- Drive the reliability, uptime, and availability of SEM systems used for wafer inspection and review. - Evaluate system designs, manufacturing processes, and acceptance testing to detect potential failure modes before customer delivery. - Establish reliability requirements, qualification plans, and factory acceptance procedures for critical components, subsystems, and complete systems. - Partner with suppliers to qualify components, validate manufacturing processes, and ensure adherence to technical specifications. - Investigate factory and field failures through statistical analysis, data science techniques, and root cause investigation to drive corrective actions.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of experience, Master's degree with 8+ years of experience, or Doctorate degree with 5+ years of experience in Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, or a related technical field. - 10+ years of experience developing, supporting, or improving semiconductor capital equipment. - Deep understanding of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) or other precision systems such as optical microscopy or lithography systems. - Technical familiarity with electron optics, precision mechanical systems, high-vacuum systems, high-voltage systems, wafer handling and positioning systems, cleanroom environments, or motion control and automation. - Proven experience establishing qualification plans and conducting reliability testing for complex electromechanical systems. - Strong background in failure analysis, root cause investigation, statistical analysis, and reliability engineering methodologies. - Willingness to travel 15% internationally.
Nice to have
- Knowledge of semiconductor industry standards, including SEMI standards and ISO quality systems.
Skills: SEM systems, failure mechanisms, reliability testing, root cause investigation, electromechanical systems
This role has been open 90 days — well above the 55-day median for Reliability Engineering roles.
Reliability Engineering · Reliability Engineering
|
Open roles in category
427
|
Median days open
55 d
|
Median salary
$154k
|
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 (427 roles · 71 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 1 | 427 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 461 | 9979 · 109 employers |
| Median days open | 90 d | 55 d (+35 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $154k |
Skills observed across this category: SEM systems, failure mechanisms, reliability testing, root cause investigation, electromechanical systems
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 77 open roles · median 136 d
- Infineon Technologies · 31 open roles · median 46 d
- Renesas Electronics · 22 open roles · median 40 d
- STMicroelectronics · 19 open roles · median 26 d
- Analog Devices · 18 open roles · median 55 d
- onsemi · 17 open roles · median 73 d
How we counted: 427 open Reliability Engineering (Reliability Engineering) roles from 71 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 19 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.