Systems Engineer 3 - Milpitas-CA, United States
$108,000 - $162,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 21 July 2026 by the employer. Relisted by the employer on 7 September 2026.
About the role
The Systems Engineer supports the development of new optical metrology technologies, optimizes the performance of existing metrology products, and communicates optimization methods to the field. This includes interfacing across engineering disciplines to define specifications, designing experiments to validate tool performance, and supporting first-in-fab installations.
What you'll do
- Align, optimize, and validate complex optical systems and metrology products. - Design and conduct experiments to characterize, troubleshoot, and improve optical metrology systems. - Interface with cross-functional engineering teams, including software, hardware, and applications scientists, to generate specifications and performance requirements. - Develop operational methods and action plans for tool performance optimization and initial tool matching. - Generate internal and external technical presentations, procedures, and training documents to educate local engineering teams. - Support on-site installation of first-in-fab metrology tools with up to 20% international travel.
What you'll need
- Ph.D., MS, or BS in Engineering or Sciences with a focus on optical physics. - 2-3 years of experience in complex optical systems, analysis, and applications development, including the use of broadband light sources for spectroscopy and ellipsometry. - Experience in the application and integration of precision optical and optomechanical components. - Proficiency in data analysis using programming or scripting tools such as Python and Matlab. - Prior experience with semiconductor capital equipment, including working knowledge of optical processing, metrology, or inspection products. - Experience working on prototype systems in a hands-on laboratory setting and supporting new product development in the semiconductor space.
Skills: optical metrology, Films systems, optical subsystems, semiconductor capital equipment, spectroscopic ellipsometry
This role has been open 89 days — well above the 53-day median for Semiconductor Equipment Engineering roles.
Semiconductor Equipment Engineering · Metrology Inspection
|
Open roles in category
196
|
Median days open
53 d
|
Median salary
$160k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Onto Innovation | All employers we track in this specialty (196 roles · 23 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 21 | 196 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 108 | 9979 · 109 employers |
| Median days open | 73 d | 53 d (+20 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $160k |
Skills observed across this category: optical metrology, Films systems, optical subsystems, semiconductor capital equipment, spectroscopic ellipsometry
Who's hiring in this category
- KLA Corporation · 74 open roles · median 45 d
- Applied Materials · 26 open roles · median 65 d
- Onto Innovation (this employer) · 21 open roles · median 72 d
- Lam Research · 15 open roles · median 48 d
- Micron Technology · 12 open roles · median 44 d
- Entegris · 10 open roles · median 60 d
How we counted: 196 open Semiconductor Equipment Engineering (Metrology Inspection) roles from 23 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.