Head of SAL Microfabrication

SAL - Silicon Austria Labs; Villach; On-site; EUR 92,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SAL - Silicon Austria Labs in Villach, Austria seeks a Head of Cleanroom Operations & Engineering to lead a growing team and shape SAL’s semiconductor R&D cleanroom. You will drive operational excellence, technology transfer and scalable processes for cutting-edge research.

The role requires strong leadership, deep knowledge of semiconductor fabrication, and a track record of aligning research with manufacturing readiness. English fluent; German a plus.

Qualifications

• MS/PhD in semiconductor engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, physics or a related field.
• Proven leadership and management experience in a multidisciplinary technical organization.
• Strong practical understanding of semiconductor fabrication and cleanroom operations.
• Experience transferring R&D processes toward pilot production and productization.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a cleanroom operations and engineering organization of ~40 employees.
• Ensure reliable operation of SAL's semiconductor R&D cleanroom and drive future growth.
• Manage cleanroom cost center including budgets and investments.
• Establish procedures and practices for safe, efficient execution of advanced R&D activities.
• Support qualification of new equipment, tools, and processes in the cleanroom.
• Translate research results into manufacturable, reproducible processes and technology transfer.

Skills

semiconductor engineering

electrical engineering

materials science

physics

technical leadership

team leadership

cleanroom operations

process development

Education

MS/PhD in semiconductor science

Job description

Head of SAL Microfabrication

SAL - Silicon Austria Labs

Villach, Austria

From € 92.000 up to € 120.000 per year

As Head of Cleanroom Operations & Engineering, you will lead a growing team and shape the future of SAL’s semiconductor R&D cleanroom. Combining operational excellence, engineering leadership and a strong focus on people development, you will enable cutting-edge research, drive technology transfer and build the capabilities needed to turn innovative ideas into robust, scalable processes.

Your future tasks include:

• Lead and develop a growing cleanroom operations and engineering organization of approximately 40 employees, working through an established structure of team leaders and department-level management;
• Ensure reliable and effective operation of the SAL semiconductor R&D cleanroom and continuously develop the organization to meet future growth and technology needs;
• Manage the cleanroom cost center, including operating and capital budgets, resource planning and investment priorities;
• Establish procedures, standards and operating practices that enable safe, flexible and efficient execution of advanced research and technology-development activities;
• Develop the organization through recruitment, delegation of responsibilities, coaching, technical development and succession planning, while strengthening the existing leadership structure;
• Define and implement operating principles and priorities that balance research flexibility with reproducibility, process discipline and operational reliability;
• Support the continued ramp-up and development of the cleanroom infrastructure, including introduction and qualification of new equipment, tools, processes and supporting infrastructure;
• Plan and coordinate the integration of new tools and capabilities into the cleanroom, ensuring that infrastructure and engineering capabilities evolve with the needs of the research programs;
• Take over EHS responsibilities, particularly in the field of chemistry;
• Enable the transition of research-developed processes toward robust, reproducible and scalable process flows and early productization;
• Work closely with SAL research units to translate emerging technologies and research results into manufacturable processes and demonstrate technology readiness;
• Support pilot prototyping activities where appropriate, while maintaining the flexibility required in an R&D environment;
• Establish appropriate quality and process-control practices to support reproducibility, yield improvement, defect reduction and structured root-cause investigation;
• Regularly align priorities, resources and capabilities with SAL management, research teams and supporting departments.

Your profile:

• M.S. or PhD in semiconductor engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, physics or a related field;
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a technical leadership role within semiconductor, MEMS, microfabrication or a comparable cleanroom environment;
• Proven leadership and management experience in a multidisciplinary technical organization, including experience working through team leaders or other levels of management;
• Experience working at the interface between semiconductor research, process development and manufacturing;
• Strong practical understanding of semiconductor fabrication and cleanroom operations;
• Experience in transferring R&D process flows toward pilot production, low-volume manufacturing or early productization;
• Experience with introducing and ramping up new equipment, processes and infrastructure in a cleanroom environment;
• Knowledge of quality management, process control, yield improvement and structured problem solving;
• Strong ability to balance research flexibility with operational discipline and reproducibility;
• Strong technical writing, presentation and communication skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; German is a plus.