Director of Foundry Engineering

191 Altera Corporation; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 209,500 - 303,250; Full time

Job summary

191 Altera Corporation in San Jose, California, is seeking a Director of Foundry Engineering to oversee manufacturing operations and lead foundry engagement for FPGA products. The role requires extensive experience in semiconductor manufacturing and a strong background in process technology.

The successful candidate will partner with external foundries, focusing on yield improvement and reliability while managing a high-performing engineering team. A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and significant experience is essential for this position.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing or foundry engineering.
• Demonstrated experience with major semiconductor foundries.
• Experience in advanced CMOS process nodes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee silicon manufacturing operations from first silicon through high-volume production.
• Lead yield improvement and reliability validation efforts.
• Build and mentor a high-performing foundry engineering team.

Skills

Semiconductor manufacturing

Foundry engineering

Process technology

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Yield engineering

Reliability validation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

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.

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.

Qualifications

• Minimum: 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: 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.

Salary Range (Bay Area, California): $209,500 – $303,250 USD. The pay range may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job‑related knowledge, skills, experiences, and training. Incentive opportunities may be offered based on individual and company performance.

Job Type: Regular
Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)
Primary Location: San Jose, California, United States
Additional Locations: Posting Statement: 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.