Director, Technical Program Management - Broadband Plasma (Capital Equipment)

KLA; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 384,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) with match

ESPP (employee stock purchase)

Tuition reimbursement

Wellness program

Paid time off

Holidays

Family leave

Job summary

KLA in Milpitas, CA seeks a seasoned Product Lifecycle/Program Lead to drive next‑generation BBP programs. You will oversee technical teams, coordinate with CTO, vendors, and sales to align on roadmap, and deliver products from concept to production.

The role emphasizes leading large cross‑functional teams, optimizing schedules, and managing risks while advancing EUV and related sensor technologies in a fast-paced semiconductor environment.

Qualifications

• Doctorate or master/bachelor with extensive relevant experience in engineering or PM roles.
• 10+ years of engineering experience or 13+ years at master's level, 15+ at bachelor's level.
• Subject matter expertise in advanced sensors, optics, or light sources.

Responsibilities

• Lead PLC program with cutting edge optics, sensors and data acquisition.
• Own program schedule, manage risk mitigation and budget adherence.
• Collaborate with CTO, vendors, and supply chain to drive success.
• Ensure on-time delivery and achievement of program objectives.
• Guide cross‑functional teams and present updates to leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional teams

Program management

Strategic thinking

Technical leadership

System engineering

Problem solving

Customer engagement

Education

Doctorate (Academic) +10y

Master's +13y

Bachelor's +15y

Job description

Company Overview KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

Group/Division With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The Broadband Plasma Division (BBP) provides market-leading patterned wafer optical inspection systems for leading-edge IC manufacturing. Logic, foundry, and memory customers depend on BBP products to detect yield-critical defects for process debug and excursion monitoring at advanced process nodes. BBP flagship products include the 29xx and 39xx series which leverage Broadband Plasma technology to capture a wide range of defects with ultimate sensitivity at the optical inspection speeds needed for inline defect monitoring.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications The BBP (Broadband Plasma) division is searching for a dynamic, creative, and hardworking individual to drive development and integration of our next generation program. The successful candidate will manage both the technical team and the project as the Product Lifecycle (PLC) lead to achieve program objectives. We are looking for candidates who have intellectual curiosity, natural problem solvers, work well with others, possess a desire to grow, and can demonstrate leadership skills. As the program head, you must possess a strong sense of purpose and be driven to continually improve self, others, and the way we do business. Lead N+2 development program with cutting edge technology in optics, sensor, sources, and data acquisition working with multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams.

• Responsible for the product from proving business case to design, development, implementation, continuous improvement and sustaining support.
• Assess the engineering technical risks for the program. Establish and actively manage mitigation plans to reduce and retire risks.
• Support technology prototyping, problem solving and risk retirement at vendor and in product development.
• Collaborate with the CTO, Vendors, & Supply Chain Management team to initiate and maintain productive working relationships with critical suppliers.
• Ensure programs objectives are delivered on schedule and within budget.
• Track record of leading large cross-functional teams and working with Engineering organization to orient the team by establishing vision and priorities, addressing schedule, and presenting changes through regular meetings.
• Experience of EUV technology is desirable.
• Work with the service and manufacturing organizations to establish and meet requirements for production ramping and lifetime maintenance.
• Own the optimization of COGS and ROI for the product.
• Work closely with Marketing & Sales teams, understand business opportunities, customer use cases, and market trends.
• Directly engage with customers along with Marketing & Sales teams, drive customer adoptions of tools and features/options.
• Provide guidance or help in roadmap, business, and market aspects for related products at KLA.
• The ideal candidate should have 10+ years of engineering experience and track record in technical program manager role or functional engineering with both technical and business development responsibilities.
• Candidate must have subject matter expertise in one or more areas - advanced sensors, optics, or sources. System level experience with broad understanding of component technologies is also acceptable.
• Ability to drive program schedules, COGS, value-based pricing, and market share.
• Innovative ways to create features that add value and optimize schedule while not impacting performance.
• Creative problem solver with a proven track record of solving complex technical issues.
• Understand and apply Systems Engineering principles in product development, sustaining, and improvements.
• Candidate should have engineering expertise that is deep in at least one area and broad across other engineering disciplines and ability to quickly learn new information.
• Must have strong technical leadership, strategic thinking, accountability, awareness of critical priorities, ability to manage ambiguity, effective communication & presentation skills including C level.
• Resilience in handling challenging situations, need to be self-driven, hardworking, detail oriented, with a can-do attitude and a critical thinker.
• Ability to prioritize project demands, motivate, delegate, and empower cross-functional team.
• Experience in semiconductor manufacturing and a proven success and track record in leading multidisciplinary teams to successfully launch and/or manage transition of a capital equipment product is a plus.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate (Academic) and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience OR
• Master's Level Degree and a minimum of 13 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor's Level Degree with a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience

Base Pay Range: $219,500.00 - $384,100.00 Annually

Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave. Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [e-mail] or at [phone] to request accommodation.