Process Development Engineer (Spector)

About Veeco
You probably don’t realize it, but what we do at Veeco touches the lives of every person, every day. It’s a bold statement, but it’s true. From the smartphones in our pockets that access the world’s collective knowledge, to the cloud-based services where all that information lives, to high-speed wireless communication and computing power needed to drive artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, gaming and so much more, our technology is all around us. 
 

We design, develop, manufacture, and service highly complex, cutting-edge machines used by our customers to create the essential devices that drive the digital age, connect the world, and improve the human experience. Along with the world’s leading technology companies, many of which are household names, we help solve their most difficult material science challenges, enabling technologies for a more connected, sustainable, and convenient world.
 

We’re looking for material difference-makers to join our growing team. Interested? Learn more at www.veeco.com/careers.

Overview

The technologies powering today's artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced electronics depend on increasingly sophisticated semiconductor devices. At Veeco, our deposition and etch platforms enable many of the critical thin-film manufacturing processes behind these innovations. Before a system reaches a customer, it must demonstrate the performance, reliability, and manufacturing readiness required for successful production, making process qualification critical to delivering customer success.

As a Process Development Engineer within the Advanced Deposition and Etch Business Unit, you will lead process qualification and customer acceptance activities for Veeco's advanced deposition and etch platforms. You will develop qualification strategies, optimize thin-film processes, analyze complex process and metrology data, and collaborate across engineering disciplines to resolve technical challenges that directly impact product performance and customer outcomes.

Working hands-on with state-of-the-art Ion Beam Deposition, Ion Beam Etch, and metrology systems, you will partner closely with Research and Development, Product Marketing, Manufacturing, Final Test, Operations, and customer engineering teams to ensure each system delivers the performance, repeatability, and reliability required for semiconductor manufacturing. Your contributions will help accelerate the adoption of next-generation semiconductor technologies, support Veeco's growth in advanced semiconductor markets, and ensure that customers receive systems that are fully qualified and ready for production.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end process qualification and customer acceptance readiness activities for advanced deposition and etch systems, ensuring tools consistently meet requirements for performance, reliability, throughput, uniformity, and repeatability prior to shipment.
• Develop and execute qualification strategies by translating customer specifications, Factory Acceptance Documents, and manufacturing use cases into robust validation plans, success criteria, risk assessments, and project milestones.
• Perform process characterization, optimization, and validation using advanced thin-film deposition, etch, and metrology techniques to establish process capability, manufacturing readiness, and long-term operational stability.
• Analyze process, equipment, and metrology data to identify performance trends, reduce variability, improve process robustness, and verify compliance with customer acceptance criteria.
• Lead cross-functional investigations of process and equipment challenges, applying structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and data-driven decision-making to implement and validate effective solutions.
• Prepare and present qualification reports, validation summaries, and technical data packages to internal stakeholders and customers, supporting Factory Acceptance Tests, customer reviews, and onsite inspections.
• Collaborate with Research and Development, Manufacturing, Final Test, Operations, Product Marketing, and customer engineering teams to support new product introductions, continuous improvement initiatives, and successful deployment of Veeco technologies in customer manufacturing environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or a Master of Science degree with 3 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated experience developing, characterizing, optimizing, or qualifying thin-film deposition and etch processes within semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor capital equipment, or related advanced technology environments.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong experience with vacuum-based thin-film deposition, etch, and materials processing technologies within semiconductor manufacturing or semiconductor equipment environments.
• Hands-on experience with thin-film characterization and metrology techniques, including four-point probe measurements, film stress characterization, ellipsometry, profilometry, depth profiling, X-Ray Fluorescence, and film-thickness measurement systems such as NanoSpec.
• Experience developing, optimizing, characterizing, or qualifying semiconductor processes and equipment with a focus on process capability, repeatability, variability reduction, manufacturing readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Experience with ion-source technologies, including Ion Beam Etch, Ion Beam Deposition, Physical Vapor Deposition, sputtering, or related thin-film processing technologies; experience with magnetic, magnetoresistive, piezoelectric, or other advanced thin-film materials is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including experience applying data-driven process improvement methodologies such as Design of Experiments, Statistical Process Control, Measurement System Analysis, failure analysis, and root cause analysis.
• Ability to interpret complex process, equipment, and metrology datasets and translate findings into actionable engineering recommendations, process improvements, and technical solutions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively present technical concepts and qualification results to customers, leadership, and cross-functional engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.

Salary and Benefits
The expected salary range for this position is $93,000—$118,000, plus a bonus opportunity. We will consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors when determining your pay.

Other benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Holiday, Vacation, and Sick Time
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Commuter Benefits
• Life and Accident Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Identity Theft Remediation
• Emergency Travel Assistance

Veeco is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected characteristics. Veeco is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.