Electrical Design Engineer

KLA-Belgium; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Life insurance

401K matching

ESPP

Tuition reimbursement

Career development programs

Wellness benefits

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Family care leave

Job summary

KLA Milpitas, CA is hiring a Research Scientist/Software Engineer for Surfscan FPGA/AI-assisted circuit design. You will design high-speed FPGA systems, verify timing, and collaborate across teams to ensure robust product integration and manufacturing readiness.

The role requires strong EE fundamentals, FPGA experience, and proficiency with CAD tools; a data-driven, ownership-focused mindset is essential for timely problem solving.

Qualifications

• BSEE with at least 1 year of electrical engineering experience.
• MSEE or PhD in EE is preferred.
• Familiarity with FPGA verification and timing closure.

Responsibilities

• Define electrical subsystem requirements and interfaces from system specs.
• Design and prototype analog/digital circuits, schematic capture, PCB layout oversight.
• Develop and optimize high-speed FPGA designs and data interfaces.
• Create test fixtures, procedures, and scripts for prototype testing and qualification.
• Perform SI, timing, thermal, power analyses and simulations to validate designs.
• Participate in design reviews and provide constructive feedback.
• Collaborate with mechanical, software, systems, and manufacturing engineers for integration.
• Support production ramp-up and field issue resolution.

Skills

FPGA design

Verilog/VHDL

AI assisted circuit design

Timing analysis

PCB interface design

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

BSEE with 1 year

MSEE or PhD EE

Tools

OrCAD

Xilinx Vivado/ISE

Intel Quartus

Synplify

Questa/ModelSim

Python

MATLAB

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 Surfscan group includes a team of engineers, technology development, apps engineers and product marketing focused on technology that enables wafer, IC and equipment manufacturers to develop, qualify and monitor their process tools. Defects and process non-uniformities detected on Surfscan equipment allow for early identification of yield excursions. The flagship Surfscan products include the SPx platforms for wafer surface quality and wafer defect inspection tools and systems for inspection of polished wafers, epi wafers and engineered substrates during the wafer fabrication process.

Job Description / Preferred Qualifications

Main Responsibilities

• Define electrical subsystem requirements, specifications, and interfaces based on system requirements and specifications.
• Design/prototype analog/digital circuits, schematics capture; directing PCB board layout.
• Design, implement, verify, and optimize high-speed FPGA designs, including high-bandwidth data acquisition, processing, and communication interfaces.
• Develop test fixtures, test procedure and test scripts for PCB board prototype and FPGA functional tests, qualification, and characterization.
• Perform circuit, signal integrity, timing, thermal, power, and FPGA simulations to validate and optimize designs.
• Participate in various design review activities, such as PCB design and FPGA design reviews and providing constructive feedback.
• Follow DFX Design Process and generate and maintain design documentation, test reports, and engineering release packages for manufacturing.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical, software, systems, and manufacturing engineers to ensure successful product integration and validation.
• Work with manufacturing and service organizations to support product introduction, production ramp-up, and field issue resolution.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in electrical engineering principles, analog and digital mixed signal electronics design at both the theoretical and practical implementation levels
• Experience in FPGA development using Xilinx or Intel (Altera) platforms, including Verilog and/or VHDL design, simulation, synthesis, implementation, and debugging.
• Experience in developing AI assisted circuit design and circuit review, AI assistant FPGA design
• Solid understanding of FPGA-to-PCB interface design, timing analysis, timing closure, and constraint development.
• Familiarity with engineering development tools such as OrCAD, Xilinx Vivado/ISE, Intel Quartus, Synplify, Questa/ModelSim, Python, and MATLAB.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex semiconductor equipment and instrumentation systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
• Demonstrated sense of ownership, urgency, and accountability in delivering high-quality engineering solutions.

Minimum Qualifications

BSEE with 1 years, or MSEE or PhD EE in electrical engineering

Base Pay Range

$95,000.00 - $161,500.00 Annually

Primary Location

USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life
• 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
• paid company holidays
• family care and bonding leave

Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed.

Pay Information

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.