Principal Yield Engineer

NOKIA; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Nokia in Sunnyvale, CA is seeking a Principal Yield Engineer to drive fab-wide yield improvement, process control, and new fab ramp readiness in a fast-growing PIC wafer environment. You will lead cross-functional initiatives, establish scalable yield-management systems, and mentor teams in SPC, DOE, root-cause analysis, and manufacturing problem solving to deliver measurable factory-level improvements.

Required: 10+ years in semiconductor manufacturing and a proven record of leading complex

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in a related engineering discipline preferred.
• 10+ years in semiconductor or HDD high-volume manufacturing.
• Proven track record leading major yield-improvement programs.
• Experience investigating yield excursions and driving structured problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Establish factory-level frameworks for yield management, excursion response, process control, and quality governance.
• Lead technical reviews for major yield excursions and technology-transfer readiness.
• Drive cross-functional investigations and root-cause analyses for yield issues.
• Mentor engineers in SPC, DOE, and manufacturing problem-solving methods.
• Drive continuous improvement of manufacturing quality systems.

Skills

Yield engineering

Root-cause analysis

Design of Experiments

Process control

Education

PhD preferred, or MS in related engineering

Job description

Job Family Description

We are seeking a Principal Yield Engineer to provide technical leadership for fab-wide yield improvement, manufacturing process control, and new Fab ramp readiness in a rapidly growing InP photonic integrated circuit (PIC) wafer fab environment. This role serves as a recognized subject matter expert and thought leader, driving cross-functional alignment, establishing scalable yield-management systems, and defining long-term manufacturing quality and process-control strategies across the organization.

Yield Strategy & Technical Leadership

Establish factory-level frameworks for yield management, excursion response, process control, and quality governance. Lead technical reviews for major yield excursions, chronic manufacturing constraints, and technology-transfer readiness. Prioritize yield opportunities and lead cross-functional initiatives delivering measurable factory-level improvements in yield, scrap reduction, and manufacturing robustness.

Excursion Leadership & Manufacturing Execution

Lead resolution of critical yield excursions, wafer scrap events, and manufacturing quality incidents. Drive cross-functional investigations involving Integration, Process, Equipment, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Quality teams. Establish root cause, define corrective actions, and ensure sustainable closure through structured problem-solving methodologies.

Organizational Influence & Mentorship

Mentor Yield, Process, Integration, and Quality Engineers in SPC, DOE, root-cause analysis, and manufacturing problem-solving methodologies. Establish best practices and standard work to improve engineering execution across organizations. Serve as a recognized technical authority for yield, process-control, and manufacturing-quality decisions.

Quality Governance

Drive continuous improvement of manufacturing quality systems, including SPC governance, excursion management frameworks, control-plan execution, and factory-wide yield visibility.

• PhD preferred, or MS in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of semiconductor or HDD high-volume manufacturing experience.
• Proven track record leading major yield-improvement programs resulting in measurable factory-level impact. Experience investigating yield excursions and driving structured problem-solving is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex technical initiatives with multiple engineering organizations.
• Recognized technical expert in yield engineering, process control, manufacturing quality, or process integration.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior engineering and operations leadership and drive technical decisions without direct organizational authority.

Preferred

• Experience supporting technology transfer, fab replication, or manufacturing scale-up activities.
• Demonstrated success building yield-management systems, SPC frameworks, or factory-wide process-control methodologies.
• Previous technical leadership of engineers across multiple functional groups.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent manufacturing excellence experience.