Systems Engineering Lead - Santa Clara, CA, United States
$176,000 - $242,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 28 July 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Applied Materials is seeking a Systems Engineering Lead to direct a multidisciplinary team developing optical metrology and inspection systems. The role oversees architecture definition, prototype development, system integration, validation, manufacturing transfer, and customer deployment.
What you'll do
- Lead the systems engineering team in defining, developing, and executing complex multidisciplinary projects involving optics, physics, mechanics, electronics, algorithms, and software. - Drive system-level architecture development, requirement breakdown, trade-off analysis, error budgets, and technical decision-making. - Lead system integration, optical setup, alignment, calibration, debug, and performance optimization activities. - Define and execute system characterization experiments, performance validation, and design verification testing. - Support New Product Introduction (NPI), manufacturing transfer, system qualification, and field deployment activities. - Manage multiple concurrent development programs with responsibility for cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality.
What you'll need
- Master's degree or Ph.D. in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related technical discipline. - 10+ years of experience in complex optical system development, including optical metrology and inspection systems for semiconductor manufacturing processes. - 3+ years of engineering management or technical leadership experience leading multidisciplinary teams. - Deep expertise in systems engineering processes including requirements management, system architecture, risk analysis, and verification methodologies. - Hands-on experience with optical system integration, alignment, calibration, and troubleshooting. - Experience managing OEM vendors, suppliers, and external development partners.
Nice to have
- Strong understanding of optical metrology and inspection system performance metrics. - Experience with system qualification, reliability testing, manufacturing transfer, and field deployment. - Knowledge of SEMI standards, ISO processes, safety regulations, and compliance requirements. - Track record of technical innovation demonstrated through patents, publications, or industry recognition. - Experience leading technology roadmaps and advanced research programs.
Skills: optical metrology, inspection systems, system architecture, system integration, semiconductor manufacturing
This role has been open 91 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 | Applied Materials | All employers we track in this specialty (196 roles · 23 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 26 | 196 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 1124 | 9979 · 109 employers |
| Median days open | 66 d | 53 d (+13 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $160k |
Skills observed across this category: optical metrology, inspection systems, system architecture, system integration, semiconductor manufacturing
Who's hiring in this category
- KLA Corporation · 74 open roles · median 45 d
- Applied Materials (this employer) · 26 open roles · median 65 d
- Onto Innovation · 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.