Head of SAL Microfabrication (all genders)

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL); Villach; On-site; EUR 82,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Vital4SAL wellness program

Meal allowance €4/day

Job summary

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) 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, engineering leadership and people development for cutting-edge research and technology transfer.

You will manage a ~40-person organization, ensure reliable cleanroom operation, and align budgets and equipment plans with research programs. Excellent English communication is essential; German is a plus.

Qualifications

• M.S. or PhD in semiconductor engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, physics or related field.
• Minimum 5 years in technical leadership in semiconductor/MEMS or cleanroom environments.
• Proven leadership across a multidisciplinary tech organization with multiple management levels.
• Experience at the interface of research, process development and manufacturing.
• Strong practical understanding of semiconductor fabrication and cleanroom operations.
• Experience transferring R&D flows toward pilot production 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 written and oral communication skills in English; German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a growing cleanroom operations and engineering organization of about 40 employees.
• Ensure reliable operation of SAL's semiconductor R&D cleanroom and plan for future growth.
• Manage the cleanroom cost center, budgets and investment priorities.
• Establish procedures, standards and operating practices for safe, flexible and efficient research execution.
• Develop the organization through recruitment, delegation, coaching and succession planning.
• Define and implement operating principles balancing research flexibility with discipline and reproducibility.
• Support ramp-up and development of cleanroom infrastructure, tools, processes and supporting infrastructure.
• Plan integration of new tools and capabilities into the cleanroom to meet research program needs.
• Take over EHS responsibilities, particularly in chemistry.
• Enable transition of research-developed processes toward robust, reproducible, scalable flows and early productization.
• Work with SAL research units to translate technologies into manufacturable processes and demonstrate readiness.
• Support pilot prototyping activities while maintaining R&D flexibility.
• Establish quality and process-control practices to support reproducibility and yield improvement.
• Regularly align priorities and resources with SAL management and research teams.

Skills

People leadership

Technical leadership

Process development

Interdisciplinary collaboration

English proficiency

German language

Education

M.S. or PhD in semiconductor engineering or related field

Job description

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.

Important Facts About SAL

• Diverse research activities with many technical challenges.
• State-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment.
• Location in the heart of Europe in Austria – relocation support for non-European nationalities.
• Internal and external training opportunities for career development.
• Family & children friendly - actively shaping the compatibility of family and career.
• “Vital4SAL” to promote a healthy workplace (e.g. SAL coaching pool, trainings on mental health, physical activities, healthy snacks, 24/7 accident insurance)
• € 4 per day meal allowance in restaurants or € 2 per working day in supermarkets.
• Public transport initiative (subsidy for the “Klimaticket”)
• Our values: Open door policy, flexibility in working hours, casual dress code, diverse teams, working with people of different nationalities, informal communication, lifelong learning, compatibility of family and career, sustainability, personal growth, and collective advancement.

This position is subject to the Collective Agreement for employees in non-university research (Research CA) starting in occupational group G (G1 salary = EUR 5.675, paid 14 times a year) based on 38,5 hours per week). For this position we offer competitive salaries and additional benefits based on your experience and qualifications. We offer a salary in the range between EUR 82.000 to EUR 120.000 (annual, based on an All-in contract, including bonus).

About Us

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) is a top research centre for Electronics and Software Based Systems (ESBS). At three locations (Graz, Villach, Linz), SAL is conducting research along the entire ESBS value chain in the areas of sensor systems, power electronics, intelligent wireless systems, microsystems and embedded systems to develop future-oriented solutions for industrial production, health, energy, mobility, safety and more. SAL brings together key players from industry, science and research and thus valuable expertise and know-how and conducts cooperative, application-oriented research along the value chain. Cooperative projects are co-financed by SAL and enable a fast and unbureaucratic project start. SAL is thus shaping the high-tech location Austria and Europe and developing the future. Innovation is our top priority and so are our employees. We are a family-friendly company and support the compatibility of work and family as much as possible. That is why we have been awarded the Work and Family Certificate until 2026. But we are constantly working on new measures to offer our employees an environment where they feel good, healthy and motivated.