AI Engineering Tech Lead — Intelligent Manufacturing

TSMC; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Paid holidays

On-site work in Phoenix

Job summary

TSMC Arizona is seeking a hands-on AI Engineering Tech Lead to lead the development and production deployment of AI solutions that improve manufacturing efficiency, quality, and engineering productivity. You will partner with fab domain experts to translate complex operational challenges into scalable applications spanning computer vision, anomaly detection, predictive analytics, robotics, and more.

Based in Arizona, you will own local delivery while contributing reusable solutions across TSMC’s

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in AI/ML or related technical field.
• 5+ years building AI/ML apps with production deployment.
• Experience leading teams of 7+ engineers across projects.
• Proven track record moving AI from prototype to production.
• Strong Python and software engineering skills with ML frameworks.
• Experience with containerization, Kubernetes, MLOps, CI/CD.
• Familiarity with Agile and SDD.
• Able to communicate tradeoffs and work with distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple AI projects from concept to production.
• Design architectures, code, test, and troubleshoot.
• Mentor engineers and set technical direction.
• Develop AI/ML solutions with data collection and model deployment.
• Own production operations including CI/CD, monitoring, and rollback.
• Build trustworthy apps with validation and access controls.
• Scale solutions across global teams.

Skills

Python

PyTorch

MLOps

Containerization

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Agile SDLC

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in AI/ML or related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

Argo CD

Harbor

Prometheus

Grafana

ELK Stack

OpenTelemetry

Job description

A job at TSMC Arizona offers an opportunity to work at the most advanced semiconductor fab in the United States. TSMC Arizona’s first fab will operate it’s leading-edge semiconductor process technology (N4 process), starting production in the first half of 2025. The second fab will utilize its leading edge N3 and N2 process technology and be operational in 2028. The recently announced third fab will manufacture chips using 2nm or even more advanced process technology, with production starting by the end of the decade. America’s leading technology companies are ready to rely on TSMC Arizona for the next generations of chips that will power the digital future.

TSMC Arizona | Arizona, USA

Build AI that delivers real manufacturing impact—from Arizona to TSMC’s global fab network.

TSMC Arizona is seeking a hands-on AI Engineering Tech Lead to lead the development and production deployment of AI solutions that improve manufacturing efficiency, quality, and engineering productivity.

You will partner with fab domain experts to turn complex operational challenges into reliable, scalable applications. Your work may span computer vision, anomaly detection, predictive analytics, robotics, reinforcement learning, generative AI and agentic AI, selecting the right approach for each problem.

Based in Arizona, you will own local delivery while contributing reusable solutions and engineering practices across TSMC’s global manufacturing footprint.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead multiple AI projects from concept to production. Translate manufacturing needs into technical specifications, delivery plans, and measurable business outcomes.
• Stay hands-on. Design architectures, develop and review code, guide experimentation, troubleshoot failures, and resolve performance and reliability issues.
• Lead and mentor engineers. Set technical direction, manage dependencies, and establish engineering standards across concurrent application projects.
• Develop practical AI/ML solutions. Work with domain experts on data collection, labeling, model development, evaluation, and integration into engineering workflows and manufacturing systems.
• Own production operations. Establish MLOps/LLMOps practices covering reproducibility, versioning, CI/CD, deployment, monitoring, model drift, incident response, and rollback.
• Build trustworthy applications. Implement appropriate validation, access controls, traceability, and human oversight for systems supporting critical decisions and actions.
• Scale successful solutions. Collaborate with global teams to share reusable components and deployment practices, adapting solutions to site-specific requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in AI/ML, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of professional experience developing AI/ML applications, including substantial hands‑on responsibility for production deployment and ongoing operations.
• Proven experience leading teams of at least 7 engineers, typically 7–10 or more, across multiple AI application projects.
• A demonstrated record of taking AI solutions beyond prototypes into sustained production use, with measurable improvements in quality, productivity, reliability, or cost.
• Strong applied expertise in one or more areas such as computer vision, anomaly detection, time-series modeling, predictive analytics, robotics, reinforcement learning, or generative AI, with the ability to guide work across adjacent domains.
• Strong Python and software engineering skills, including experience with PyTorch or comparable ML frameworks, data pipelines, APIs, automated testing, and performance optimization.
• Practical experience with containerization, Kubernetes, MLOps, and CI/CD, plus production monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with Agile and Spec-Driven Development (SDD), including clear requirements, testable acceptance criteria, and disciplined release practices.
• Ability to communicate technical tradeoffs, prioritize competing needs, and collaborate effectively with domain experts and distributed engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in semiconductor manufacturing, industrial automation, or other demanding production environments.
• Experience with deployment and observability tools such as Azure DevOps, Argo CD, Harbor, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack, and OpenTelemetry.
• Hands‑on experience with LLM fine‑tuning, LoRA/QLoRA, knowledge distillation, quantization, large‑scale LLM serving (vLLM/SGLang), RAG/KG‑RAG, or multi‑agent systems, including Agent Skills, guardrails, and harness engineering.
• Experience deploying vision or robotics applications on edge devices, or transferring reinforcement learning solutions from simulation to operational environments is a plus.
• Experience scaling AI applications across multiple physical sites.
• Anthropic Claude Certificated Architect certification, at the Foundations or Professional level.
• Kaggle Master or Grandmaster recognition is also a plus.

Why Join Us?

Take ownership of meaningful engineering challenges, work directly with semiconductor domain experts, and develop a strong technical team. Build solutions that improve Arizona fab operations while helping advance intelligent manufacturing across TSMC worldwide.

The future of AI depends not only on better models, but also on the capacity and yield of the advanced chips that power them. Join us to reshape the future of chip manufacturing together!

Candidates must be willing and able to work on-site at our Phoenix Arizona facility.

As a valued member of the TSMC family, we place a significant focus on your health and well‑being. When you are at your best‑physically, mentally, and financially-our company is at its best. We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits program that provides the resources you need to help you manage your health and achieve your goals across many areas of your life. This includes a variety of medical, dental and vision plan offerings you can choose from that best fit your and your family’s needs. Additionally, TSMC provides income‑protection programs to financially assist you should you experience an injury or illness, and a 401(k)-retirement savings plan to help you secure your financial future. TSMC also offers competitive paid time‑off programs and paid holidays allowing you to recharge and spend time with your family and loved ones.

Work Location: 5088 W. Innovation Circle, Phoenix, AZ 85083

TSMC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply, and we welcome applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation. If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of this application process, please [e-mail].

TSMC Arizona maintains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of TSMC Arizona’s pre‑employment screening process. This process may include verifying the candidate’s identity, confirming legal authorization to work in the offered position’s location, educational background and a comprehensive background check, where permitted by local regulations.