Director of Foundry Engineering

Altera; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 303,000; Full time

Job summary

Altera is seeking a Director of Foundry Engineering to lead foundry engagement, process technology enablement, and manufacturing execution for its FPGA and programmable device portfolio.

This leader will serve as the primary technical interface between Altera and external foundry partners, ensuring robust silicon readiness, manufacturability, yield, reliability, and cost optimization across multiple technology nodes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related technical field.
• 15+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing, foundry engineering, or process technology.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with major semiconductor foundries.
• Experience in advanced CMOS process nodes, yield engineering, and reliability.
• Experience leading complex, cross‑functional technical programs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee silicon manufacturing operations & engineering from first silicon through high‑volume production.
• Lead yield improvement, defect reduction, parametric optimization, and reliability validation efforts.
• Partner with Product Engineering and Quality teams to resolve yield, reliability, and excursion issues.
• Ensure robust manufacturing flows, change control, and continuous improvement.
• Own and manage Altera’s technical relationships with external foundry partners across advanced and mature process nodes.
• Lead process technology selection, qualification, and risk assessment aligned to product roadmaps.
• Drive foundry process enablement, PDK readiness, and design‑to‑manufacturing alignment.
• Represent Altera in joint technology reviews, process roadmap discussions, and executive‑level engagements.
• Work closely with Design Engineering, DTCO teams, Product Line Management, Supply Chain, and Operations.
• Support early design decisions to optimize manufacturability, cost, performance, and schedule.
• Provide foundry and process insights to influence architecture, IP strategy, and product planning.
• Build, lead, and mentor a high‑performing foundry engineering organization.
• Set clear goals, accountability, and development plans for senior technical staff.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and collaboration.
• Manage foundry‑related risks, capacity planning, and long‑term supply assurance.
• Support cost modeling, node transition strategies, and sourcing decisions.
• Contribute to executive strategy reviews, program updates, and milestone reporting.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related technical field

Job description

About Altera

At Altera™, our independence as the world’s largest pure‑play FPGA solutions provider gives us the focus, speed, and agility to innovate without compromise. With more than four decades of industry‑leading FPGA expertise, our singular mission is to deliver the programmable technologies that help customers differentiate, innovate, and scale across rapidly evolving markets like AI, cloud, networking, and edge. As an independent company, we move faster, invest deeper, and partner more closely—empowering our teams to drive breakthrough innovation and shape the future of the FPGA industry.

Job Details

Job Description:

At Altera™, our independence as the world’s largest pure‑play FPGA solutions provider gives us the focus, speed, and agility to innovate without compromise. With more than four decades of industry‑leading FPGA expertise, our singular mission is to deliver the programmable technologies that help customers differentiate, innovate, and scale across rapidly evolving markets like AI, cloud, networking, and edge. As an independent company, we move faster, invest deeper, and partner more closely—empowering our teams to drive breakthrough innovation and shape the future of the FPGA industry.

About The Role

Altera is seeking a Director of Foundry Engineering to lead foundry engagement, advanced process technology enablement, and manufacturing execution for Altera’s FPGA and programmable device portfolio. This leader will serve as the primary technical interface between Altera and its external foundry partners, ensuring robust silicon readiness, manufacturability, yield, reliability, and cost optimization across multiple technology nodes.

This role is critical to Altera’s silicon strategy, driving execution from early process definition through high‑volume manufacturing while collaborating closely with design, product engineering, quality, supply chain, and executive leadership.

Why Altera

• Lead foundry strategy for cutting‑edge FPGA and programmable technologies
• Partner with world‑class silicon, design, and product teams
• Influence long‑term manufacturing and technology decisions at the enterprise level
• Opportunity to shape Altera’s next generation of programmable solutions

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Operations & Engineering

• Oversee silicon manufacturing operations & engineering from first silicon through high‑volume production
• Lead yield improvement, defect reduction, parametric optimization, and reliability validation efforts
• Partner with Product Engineering and Quality teams to resolve yield, reliability, and excursion issues
• Ensure robust manufacturing flows, change control, and continuous improvement

Foundry & Process Technology Leadership

• Own and manage Altera’s technical relationships with external foundry partners across advanced and mature process nodes
• Lead process technology selection, qualification, and risk assessment aligned to product roadmaps
• Drive foundry process enablement, PDK readiness, and design‑to‑manufacturing alignment
• Represent Altera in joint technology reviews, process roadmap discussions, and executive‑level engagements

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Design Engineering, DTCO teams, Product Line Management, Supply Chain, and Operations
• Support early design decisions to optimize manufacturability, cost, performance, and schedule
• Provide foundry and process insights to influence architecture, IP strategy, and product planning

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, lead, and mentor a high‑performing foundry engineering organization
• Set clear goals, accountability, and development plans for senior technical staff
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and collaboration

Business & Risk Management

• Manage foundry‑related risks, capacity planning, and long‑term supply assurance
• Support cost modeling, node transition strategies, and sourcing decisions
• Contribute to executive strategy reviews, program updates, and milestone reporting

Salary Range

The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.

$209,500 - $303,250 USD

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related technical field
• 15+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing, foundry engineering, or process technology
• Demonstrated experience working directly with major semiconductor foundries
• Experience in advanced CMOS process nodes, yield engineering, and reliability
• Experience leading complex, cross‑functional technical programs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting logic, SoC, or FPGA products
• Prior people management experience at the senior manager or director level
• Familiarity with multi‑foundry or foundry‑agnostic manufacturing strategies

Job Type

Regular

Shift

Shift 1 (United States of America)

Primary Location

San Jose, California, United States

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.