Field Application Engineer - Semiconductor

Sierra Wireless; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship from experienced FAE team

Ownership of customer interactions

Impact on consumer electronics products

Job summary

Sierra Wireless in San Jose, CA is seeking a Field Applications Engineer to drive technical support for customers using ESD protection and sensing solutions. You will engage with consumer electronics accounts, acting as the technical point of contact and helping engineers overcome design challenges.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering and 3-5 years of relevant experience. This hybrid role offers ownership and the opportunity to contribute significantly to design wins in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of FAE or similar experience at a semiconductor company.
• Experience supporting customers through design-in cycles.
• Comfortable working independently with customers.

Responsibilities

• Engage directly with customers to provide technical support.
• Own the design win activity and drive customer commitment.
• Conduct competitive analysis to highlight Semtech's advantages.

Skills

Field applications experience

Customer engagement

ESD protection knowledge

Analog mixed-signal ICs familiarity

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

Location: San Jose, CA (Hybrid - 4/days, Friday remote)

Our Team:

Semtech is a recognized leader in ESD protection and Capacitive/Force Sensing solutions that are utilized in the consumer electronics products people rely on every day — from smartphones and tablets to wearables and smart home devices. As consumer platforms continue to push the boundaries of miniaturization, interface speed, and tactile interaction, the need for knowledgeable, customer-focused application support has never been greater.

Job Summary

We are looking for someone with drive, technical curiosity, and a genuine enthusiasm for working with customers. Whether your background is already in field applications engineering or in an internal applications/product engineering role, what matters most is that you are passionate about technology, energized by customer interaction, and motivated to help engineers solve real design problems with Semtech solutions.

In this role you will engage directly with consumer electronics customers, build deep expertise in ESD protection and capacitive/force sensing applications, and own design win activity to expand Semtech’s growth. You will work alongside an experienced West Coast FAE team that will support your development.

Responsibilities

Customer Engagement & Technical Support

• We’re looking for an independent drive to uncover new opportunities for Semtech’s ESD Protection and Sensing products.
• Act as the technical point of contact for consumer accounts, building strong, trust‑based relationships with customer engineering teams.
• Support customers through device selection, schematic review, PCB layout guidance, and design‑in best practices.
• Provide creative, practical input into customer design solutions — going beyond the datasheet to address real system‑level challenges.
• Respond to inquiries with a sense of urgency while maintaining consistent follow‑through on all open technical issues.

Design Win Ownership

• Take independent ownership of design win activity at assigned accounts, proactively driving engagements from initial opportunity identification through customer commitment.
• Propose complete, system‑level solutions that maximize Semtech content and clearly position Semtech’s advantages over competitors.
• Partner closely with the regional sales team throughout the sales cycle to align on strategy and accelerate design‑in timelines.

Application & Product Knowledge

• Deep expertise in ESD protection fundamentals: IEC 61000-4-2 / IEC 61000-4-5 / JEDEC HBM/CDM standards / Surge and typical ESD component electrical characteristics. Assist with protection topology selection for high‑speed consumer interfaces (USB, Antennas, HDMI, Ethernet, MIPI…) as well as lower speed interfaces and power rails.
• Knowledge of capacitive and force sensing architectures: sensor types, firmware integration, sensitivity tuning, and noise management for consumer applications.
• Conduct in‑depth competitive analysis to confidently articulate Semtech’s technical differentiation in competitive situations.
• Support evaluation board bring‑up and product demonstrations for new ESD and sensing introductions.
• As needed, create application notes, reference designs, and customer‑facing technical content that demonstrates Semtech’s application expertise.
• Stay current on consumer electronics trends across smartphones, wearables, hearables, laptops, gaming, and smart home platforms.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Relay customer feedback, field observations, and competitive intelligence to product line managers and applications engineering teams.
• Contribute to product roadmap discussions based on customer design trends and unmet application requirements.
• Build productive working relationships across internal Semtech sales, marketing, and applications engineering to ensure customers receive a seamless experience.

Minimum Qualifications: We welcome candidates that already have field applications experience but we’re also open to considering other engineering disciplines — the end goal is an individual with passion for technology, a drive to win, and genuine excitement about working directly with customers.

Education and Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (open to considering other engineering disciplines)
• 3‑5 years of FAE (or Applications/Product/Systems Engineering) experience at a semiconductor company, distributor, or OEM/ODM
• Experience supporting customers through design‑in cycles
• Comfortable working independently with customers and managing multiple concurrent engagements
• Familiarity with ESD protection, analog mixed‑signal ICs, and/or sensing products is a strong plus
• Prior exposure to consumer electronics platforms: smartphones, wearables, hearables, laptops, or smart home devices
• Strong communicator who can translate technical depth into clear, compelling guidance for customers
• Genuine enthusiasm for customer engagement — energized by solving problems alongside engineers
• Competitive drive, sense of urgency, and strong follow‑through; understands that timely engagement directly impacts design win outcomes at fast paced consumer customers

Why Semtech

This role is built to give you real ownership, direct customer impact, and the mentorship of an experienced West Coast FAE team.

The consumer market moves fast and the problems are real. Every design win you drive ends up in a product used by millions of people. You will build the technical depth, customer relationships, and business acumen to serve our customers well and also define a long and rewarding FAE career for you at Semtech.

All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

We are proud to be an EEO employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug‑free workplace.

This position has an estimated pay range of $94,000 to $140,000. Salary is determined by multiple factors including job-related qualifications, skills, education and experience, as well as job location and the value of other elements of an employee’s total compensation package.