Senior Principal Applications Engineer – Technical Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Act as the main technical consultant for key semiconductor clients.

• Foster strong relationships with customer engineering, manufacturing, operations, and executive teams.

• Oversee customer interactions from evaluation to qualification, production release, and High Volume Manufacturing ramp-up.

• Conduct on-site technical reviews, production readiness assessments, roadmap discussions, and executive presentations.

• Showcase FormFactor’s technology roadmap, product capabilities, and application solutions.

• Assist with product demonstrations, benchmarking, acceptance testing, and customer evaluations.

• Collaborate with customers to enhance yield, throughput, measurement accuracy, and manufacturing efficiency.

• Serve as the senior technical escalation point for critical customer issues.

• Design and implement advanced application methodologies for semiconductor probe and test solutions.

• Support characterization of electrical, parametric, RF, optical, photonics, and high-speed devices.

• Promote the adoption of new products and advanced technologies.

• Create technical documentation, application notes, best practices, and training materials for customers.

• Analyze customer application challenges and propose optimized solutions.

• Assist with beta evaluations, technology transfers, qualification programs, and production ramps.

• Function as a subject matter expert in semiconductor testing, wafer probing, and device characterization.

• Lead intricate root cause investigations involving product, process, applications, and manufacturing challenges.

• Provide technical leadership across Applications, Engineering, Product Management, Service, and Manufacturing teams.

• Mentor and guide Applications Engineers and other technical team members.

• Establish best practices and promote knowledge sharing across global organizations.

• Influence technical direction and future customer solutions.

• Lead cross-functional teams in dynamic and uncertain environments.

• Ensure clarity, accountability, and execution during customer escalations and critical business scenarios.

• Balance customer needs, business priorities, and technical limitations.

• Represent the Voice of Customer to Product Management and Engineering.

• Identify emerging technology trends and customer demands.

• Influence product roadmaps through customer insights and market analysis.

• Support strategic growth initiatives in Silicon Photonics, Co-Packaged Optics, AI/HPC, Foundry, Memory, and Advanced Packaging sectors.

• Assist Sales and Business Development teams with technical strategy and growth prospects.

⛳️ Requirements

• At least 8 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 6 years with a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent qualifications.

• Experience in semiconductor testing, semiconductor capital equipment, probe card technologies, wafer probe systems, device characterization, or similar fields.

• Proven track record of successfully supporting strategic semiconductor clients in both development and production settings.

• Demonstrated capability to lead complex technical engagements and manage customer escalations.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey information at both engineering and executive levels.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as necessary.

• Technical knowledge in Automated Test Equipment (ATE), wafer probe systems, probe cards, semiconductor testing, device characterization, parametric testing, wafer sorting, production testing, RF and microwave measurements, high-speed digital testing, signal integrity, silicon photonics, optical characterization, Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), advanced packaging, heterogeneous integration, yield improvement, product qualification, New Product Introduction (NPI), failure analysis, and High Volume Manufacturing (HVM).

• Proficiencies in data analytics, JMP Scripting Language (JSL), MATLAB, Python, RF testing, root cause analysis, semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor testers, signal integrity, silicon photonics, strategic customer management, and technical leadership.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Life insurance

• Disability coverage

• 401(k) with company match

• Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

• Paid time off

• Quarterly profit-sharing bonuses

• Flexible spending or savings accounts