AI-Physics Algorithm Engineer (New Grad)

Applied Materials, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 161,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock awards

Bonus program

Relocation assistance

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Applied Materials, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated New College Grad Algorithm Developer III (PhD) for a Winter 2026 start in Santa Clara, CA.

The role blends AI/ML with theoretical physics to optimize semiconductor manufacturing processes in real time. The ideal candidate will design scalable data pipelines, model physical relationships, and develop predictive control algorithms, collaborating across physics, engineering, software, and data science teams.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Master’s degree in one of the above fields with a minimum of 2 years of relevant industry or research experience.
• Experience with computational methods, computer-aided engineering (CAE), engineering simulation, physical modeling, or analysis of complex systems.

Responsibilities

• Design scalable data pipelines to collect, process, and analyze high-volume sensor data from semiconductor manufacturing systems.
• Identify and model underlying physical relationships governing complex process behavior.
• Develop predictive and control algorithms using a combination of physics-based methods and machine learning approaches.
• Build robust, maintainable software modules that integrate with real-world manufacturing tools and systems.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams spanning physics, engineering, software development, and data science to accelerate innovation and deployment.
• Develop ML surrogates or reduced-order models based on rigorous physics simulations.

Skills

Python

Machine Learning

Software Engineering

Computational Science

Education

Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related quantitative field

Tools

Git

TensorFlow

PyTorch

CAx/CAE tools

Job description

Applied Materials, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated New College Grad Algorithm Developer III (PhD) for a Winter 2026 start in Santa Clara, CA.

The role blends AI/ML with theoretical physics to optimize semiconductor manufacturing processes in real time. The ideal candidate will design scalable data pipelines, model physical relationships, and develop predictive control algorithms, collaborating across physics, engineering, software, and data science teams.