Principal Equipment Engineer

Diamondfoundry; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Life and disability insurance

Paid time away from work

Job summary

Diamond Foundry Inc. is seeking a hands-on Principal Equipment Engineer to take technical ownership of back-end production equipment across its lifecycle. You will diagnose failures, design out risks, and maximize tool availability on the manufacturing floor, reporting to the Manager of Equipment Engineering and Maintenance.

The role emphasizes ownership, mentoring, and strict safety/compliance standards, including Class IV lasers, ISO 9001, and SEMI S2.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical, or Manufacturing Engineering and 10+ years of hands-on equipment ownership in high-volume semiconductor or related manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Own back-end production equipment across its lifecycle including spec, qualification, sustaining, and reliability.
• Escalate and troubleshoot complex electro-mechanical failures using structured root-cause methods.
• Manage CapEx and site transfers, FAT/SAT, and documentation for international deployments.
• Establish and enforce PM plans, CMMS assets, ECNs, and ISO 9001 compliance.
• Mentor maintenance technicians and junior equipment engineers.

Skills

Electro-mechanical systems

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis (Python, SQL, JMP)

Autonomy/leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical or Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Teamcenter

CMMS

PLC/HMI

Class IV lasers

Job description

Diamond Foundry Inc. is solving the thermal limitation at the foundation of today’s most exciting tech industries — AI & cloud compute, electric‑car power electronics, and 5G/6G wireless. We have managed to produce the world’s first single‑crystal diamond wafers and are now on a mission to put a diamondbehind every chip. We are the rare unicorn that has grown fast and profitably. We received $515m in funding and are executing a multi-$B expansion plan for one of the greenest forms of tech manufacturing: converting greenhouse gas into diamond wafers using zero‑emission energy.

We are seeking a hands‑on Principal Equipment Engineer to take absolute technical ownership of back‑end production equipment across its entire lifecycle (specification, qualification, sustaining, and reliability). Reporting to the Manager of Equipment Engineering and Maintenance, you will operate with complete autonomy to diagnose failures, design out engineering risks, and ensure maximum tool availability on our manufacturing floor.

End-to-End Tool Ownership

Manage an assigned section of back-end process tools (laser, cleaning, thermal, metrology, and material handling) to optimize tool availability, capability, and total cost of ownership.

Advanced Troubleshooting

Serve as the final escalation point for complex electro‑mechanical failures, using structured root‑cause methods (8D, 5‑Why) to improve MTBF and MTTR metrics under SEMI E10 standards.

CapEx & Site Transfers

Author equipment specifications, evaluate vendors, execute FAT/SAT, and manage the technical documentation required to package and transfer equipment setups to international sites.

Engineering & Safety Standards

Establish robust standards for PM plans, CMMS assets, ECNs, and ISO 9001 compliance. Enforce rigorous engineering controls for Class IV lasers, chemical hazards, and high-temperature systems.

Mentorship & Support

Act as a technical resource for maintenance technicians and mentor junior equipment engineers through design reviews, troubleshooting sessions, and technical documentation audits.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics, Electrical, or Manufacturing Engineering with 10+ years of hands‑on equipment ownership in a high‑volume semiconductor, advanced materials, or high‑precision manufacturing environment.

Technical Depth

Mastery of electro‑mechanical systems (motion control, PLC/HMI, pneumatics, vacuum, fluid delivery). Strong preference for experience with Class IV lasers, CMP/polishing, or robotic work cells.

Data-Driven Analysis

Track record of moving OEE, MTBF, and MTTR metrics with evidence rather than opinion. Experience with data analysis tools beyond spreadsheets (Python, JMP, SQL) is a plus.

Safety & Compliance

Practical experience applying machine safety codes (LOTO, NFPA 79, CE/UL, SEMI S2). Proficiency with 3D CAD (SolidWorks), PLM (Teamcenter), and CMMS frameworks.

Autonomy & Leadership

Proven history of operating independently as a principal contributor, managing competing priorities without close supervision, and aligning cross‑functional teams without direct positional authority.

Diamond Foundry believes in supporting our employees from the workplace to their personal and home life. We provide eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health insurance, flexible spending accounts, retirement savings plans, life and disability insurance programs, and a number of programs that provide for both paid and unpaid time away from work. Perks include employee discounts to VRAI. Our benefits begin as early as your first day of employment. Medical and vision coverage are retroactive to your start date, while dental and voluntary benefits take effect once you’ve completed your enrollment.

Diamond Foundry is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.

Diamond Foundry Inc. is committed to operating in full compliance with all applicable state and federal laws. Our commitment extends to ensuring that our manufacturing and engineering departments adhere to the highest standards of legal and regulatory compliance. Additionally, these departments may have specific physical requirements to ensure the safety and efficiency of our operations. We prioritize the well‑being of our employees and strive to create a work environment that promotes both legal compliance and the optimal functioning of our manufacturing and engineering processes.

Manufacturing and Engineering Departments Physical Requirements

• Use appropriate PPE and follow all safety policies, practices, and procedures.
• This position will often: Sit, stand for long periods, walk, grasp, reach with hands and arms, lift below and above shoulders, bend, twist at the waist, climb, balance, stoop, squat, kneel, crawl, talk, hear, see, use fine finger manipulation, and complete repetitive motions.
• Some tasks may require the use of ladders or stairs
• Some tasks may require driving or the use of foot controls
• Lift/carry and push/pull up to 50 pound

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment.

Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.