System Design Engineer (Optics)

KLA; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

KLA in Singapore seeks a systems engineer to design, integrate and test wafer inspection equipment, delivering state‑of‑the‑art performance.

You will collaborate with customers and internal teams, lead a focused team, and apply deep optical, metrology and imaging knowledge to resolve complex challenges in fast-paced projects. Strong communication and hands‑on experience with optics hardware are essential.

Qualifications

• Effective communicator with good interpersonal skills.
• Hands-on experience in building/testing optical inspection or metrology tools.
• Experience developing or supporting complex optical‑mechanical systems or assemblies.
• Knowledge in imaging processing system and algorithms.
• Proficiency in Solidworks, Zemax or CODEV, Matlab, JMP is highly desirable.
• Familiar with Python and JavaScript would be a plus.
• Minimum Qualifications: Advanced degree in applied optics, electrical engineering, applied physics, mechanical engineering or related disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for subsystem design/development, system integration, test and characterization
• Provide system trouble shooting, new product introduction and escalation support
• Define system and subsystem specifications
• Document manufacturing procedures
• Provide training to manufacturing engineers and technicians
• Derive and manage detailed manufacturing requirements and introduction plans in the design concept phase
• Cover all aspects of the manufacturing introduction, including design for manufacturability, quality, tooling, training, process documentation, product structure, build process optimization and facilities requirements

Skills

Effective communicator

Optical inspection

Metrology tools

Optics knowledge

Python

JavaScript

Team leadership

Imaging processing

Education

Advanced degree in applied optics

Tools

Solidworks

Zemax

CODEV

MATLAB

JMP

Job description

To make electronics, you need chips, wafers, transistors, reticles, and... To make these, you must see, test and manufacture them at scale—faster and better than ever before. That's where KLA comes in. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, you'll solve complex challenges, work alongside brilliant minds and help shape the future of technology.

Group/Division

The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics. The Surfscan® division develops unpatterned wafer inspection systems that detect nanoscale particles and surface defects early in semiconductor manufacturing. Its systems monitor wafer quality across a wide range of applications, enabling faster issue identification and improved process control.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise. The SFS Group engineering is looking for highly motivated individual to join a growing team of system engineer to develop and sustain state-of-the-art wafer inspection equipment in Singapore. This position requires effective customer (internal/external) management and deft interpersonal skills, in addition to a deep technical understanding of the KLA product and how it is used by the customer. Strong communication skills both oral and written are required for this job. We are looking for candidates who have intellectual curiosity, are natural problem solvers, work well with others, possess a desire to grow and can demonstrate leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for subsystem design/development, system integration, test and characterization
• Provide system trouble shooting, new product introduction and escalation support
• Define system and subsystem specifications
• Document manufacturing procedures
• Provide training to manufacturing engineers and technicians
• Derive and manage detailed manufacturing requirements and introduction plans in the design concept phase
• Cover all aspects of the manufacturing introduction, including design for manufacturability, quality, tooling, training, process documentation, product structure, build process optimization and facilities requirements

Requirements

• Effective communicator with good interpersonal skills.
• Extensive hands-on experience in building/testing optical inspection or metrology tools.
• Desired experience developing or supporting complex optical-mechanical systems or assemblies.
• Desired experience in optoelectronics, sensor technology, microscopy, optics, or systems design/support.
• Proven track record of technical development and/or issues resolution.
• Good problem solver who is comfortable leading a focused team.
• Good understanding of imaging processing system and algorithms.
• Proficiency in Solidworks, Zemax or CODEV, Matlab, JMP is highly desirable.
• Familiar with Python and JavaScript would be a plus.
• Minimum Qualifications: Advanced degree in applied optics, electrical engineering, applied physics, mechanical engineering or related disciplines.

About KLA

We provide advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, process solutions, and computational analytics that make electronics possible, tackling complex challenges. From electron and photon optics to machine learning and data analytics, we seek perfection at the most fundamental level of matter in the universe. If you want to make electronics that push industries forward and make the world a better place, join us.

We do not accept resumes from headhunters, placement agencies, or other suppliers that have not signed a formal agreement with us.

Use of AI Statement

At KLA, our interviews seek to understand your individual skills, problem-solving approach and authentic thinking. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation, the use of AI, recording tools or other technologies to generate, suggest or provide responses during interviews—whether virtual or in person— is not permitted unless explicitly approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation or invited by the interviewer. Use of these tools may interfere with our ability to evaluate your individual qualifications and affect your candidacy. KLA is committed to advancing innovation through responsible AI, and we value candidates who share this mindset. We offer a competitive, family friendly total rewards package. We design our programs to reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment, while ensuring we provide benefits that meet the diverse needs of our employees. KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Additional Information

Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to [e-mail] to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.