Head of Thin-Film & Process Engineering

PROOF.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

PROOF. is seeking a Principal Engineer in San Jose to lead thin-film and process engineering for microbattery manufacturing. You will own sputtering/PVD development, optimize deposition parameters, and drive scale-up from R&D to production while partnering with design, materials, and equipment teams.

The role requires deep hands-on expertise in sputtering and thin-film processing, DOE, and manufacturing excellence, with strong leadership and collaboration across functions.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in a technical field with related experience.
• Hands-on experience with sputtering/PVD and thin-film processes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and optimize manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and optimization of sputtering/PVD processes for microbattery layers.
• Develop robust process recipes and operating windows.
• Establish process capability and statistical controls; drive DOE initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale processes into manufacturing.

Skills

Sputtering / PVD

Thin-film processing

DOE

Manufacturing scale-up

Process optimization

Statistical analysis

Root-cause analysis

Technical leadership

Mentoring

Laboratory equipment operation

Education

Materials Science

Chemical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Physics

Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

Deposition equipment

Vacuum systems

Characterization tools

Job description

On behalf of our client, we're hiring a Principal Engineer to serve as a technical leader for the development, optimization, and scale-up of thin-film and cell manufacturing processes.

Location: San Jose, CA

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

This is a highly hands‑on role for an engineer with deep expertise in sputtering/PVD, thin-film processing, process optimization, DOE, and manufacturing scale-up. The Principal Engineer will be the technical owner for thin-film deposition and process engineering, with particular emphasis on sputtering/PVD processes and their integration into the overall microbattery manufacturing flow.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing robust processes, establishing process windows, troubleshooting complex process issues, improving yield and repeatability, and transferring processes from R&D into scalable manufacturing. This individual will work closely with cell design, materials, equipment, characterization, and manufacturing teams.

What You'll Do

Sputtering & Thin-Film Process Development

• Lead development and optimization of sputtering/PVD processes for microbattery electrodes, electrolytes, current collectors, barriers, and other functional layers
• Develop process recipes and establish robust operating windows
• Optimize deposition parameters including power, pressure, gas flow, substrate temperature, deposition rate, target condition, and substrate configuration
• Understand and control film thickness, composition, density, stress, adhesion, morphology, uniformity, and electrical/electrochemical properties
• Develop strategies to improve film uniformity across substrates and through production runs
• Troubleshoot sputtering chamber and process-related issues
• Partner with equipment engineering to improve chamber performance, uptime, throughput, and repeatability

Process Optimization

• Lead structured DOE and statistical process optimization
• Identify critical process parameters and critical-to-quality characteristics
• Establish process windows and operating limits
• Analyze process data to identify sources of variation and yield loss
• Develop corrective and preventive actions based on data and root-cause analysis
• Establish process capability and statistical controls for critical processes
• Drive continuous improvement in yield, throughput, quality, and reliability

Thin-Film Materials & Characterization

• Correlate deposition parameters with thin-film properties and cell performancePartner with materials and characterization teams to investigate film composition, structure, density, stress, adhesion, and interfaces
• Use characterization techniques such as SEM, XRD, XPS, profilometry, EIS, optical microscopy, and other appropriate analytical methods
• Develop failure-analysis approaches for deposition and interface-related defects
• Translate characterization results into process improvements

Process Integration

• Work closely with the cell design team to ensure cell architecture is compatible with manufacturing capabilities
• Define process requirements and limitations that should influence cell design
• Develop integrated process flows covering deposition, patterning, stacking, assembly, and testing
• Identify interactions between individual process steps and downstream cell performance
• Optimize the complete process rather than individual steps in isolation

Manufacturing Scale-Up

• Transfer laboratory processes into pilot and manufacturing environments
• Develop scalable processes with appropriate controls and specifications
• Establish process documentation, specifications, work instructions, and control plans
• Support equipment selection, qualification, commissioning, and process validation
• Develop methods for monitoring process stability and detecting process drift
• Work with operations and manufacturing engineering to improve throughput and yield

Technical Problem Solving

• Lead root-cause investigations for process and product failures
• Develop hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, and implement corrective actions
• Provide technical leadership during high-priority manufacturing and development issues
• Ensure conclusions are supported by high-quality data and reproducible experiments

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the principal technical authority for thin-film and process engineering
• Establish process-development methodologies and engineering standards
• Mentor process engineers and technicians
• Review process-development plans and experimental strategies
• Communicate process capability, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to engineering leadership

What We're Looking For

Required:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience
• Deep hands‑on experience with sputtering/PVD and thin-film process development
• Demonstrated experience developing and optimizing manufacturing processes
• Strong understanding of thin-film deposition physics and process-property relationships
• Experience with DOE, statistical analysis, process capability, and structured root-cause analysis
• Experience developing process windows and improving manufacturing yield
• Experience troubleshooting vacuum systems, deposition equipment, or semiconductor/thin-film manufacturing equipment
• Ability to work hands‑on with equipment and materials in a laboratory or manufacturing environment
• Strong technical communication and documentation skills

Preferred:

• Experience with solid-state batteries, thin-film batteries, microbatteries, MEMS, semiconductor manufacturing, or advanced energy-storage technologies
• Experience with LiPON, LiCoO₂, lithium metal, Ni/NiV, TiN, Cu, Al, stainless steel, or related thin-film materials
• Experience with multilayer thin-film structures
• Experience with R2R sputtering or other continuous manufacturing processes
• Experience with photolithography, patterning, etching, or other microfabrication processes