Product Development Applications Engineer

KLA; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 93,000 - 159,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Job summary

KLA is seeking an Applications Engineer in the USA (Ann Arbor, MI) to develop and implement product applications for existing and pre-release products, solving high-value customer problems. The role focuses on characterization, alpha/beta testing, and pilot tools during ramp‑up.

The ideal candidate holds a Doctorate or Master’s in engineering/science, plus strong communication and teamwork. Expect autonomy, accountability, and some travel (up to 50%).

Qualifications

• Must have excellent oral and written communication, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
• Candidate must be an outstanding teammate.
• Additional (<50%) domestic and international travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement product applications for existing and pre-release products to solve high-value customer problems.
• Support the ramp phase with characterization, alpha/beta testing and pilot tools.
• Collaborate with software and systems engineering to verify hardware/software issues are resolved.
• Conduct customer product demonstrations and on-site training for Applications Engineers and end users.
• Document test results, BKMs, training documents, demo reports, and transfer product knowledge to other teams.
• Generate demo and test reports for internal and customer review.

Skills

Communication

Analytical

Interpersonal

Team player

Education

Doctorate (Academic) Degree

Master’s Degree

Bachelor’s Degree

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. Central Engineering is KLA's largest engineering organization comprised of 9 Centers‑of‑Excellence (CoE) in various disciplines applied across all product groups in the company. These CoE include Handling & Automation, Precision Motion Control, Sensors & Image Acquisition, Platform Design, and Packaging Engineering, among others. Talent includes over 500 engineers across global centers in Israel, China, India, and the US. Each CoE contributes not just talent and deliverables per discipline toward product programs, but also subject matter expertise, best practices, roadmaps, specialized facilities, apparatus, models, and analytics. These differentiate KLA not only in WHAT we do, but also in HOW we do it.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

The Applications Engineer will be responsible for developing and implementing product applications for existing and pre‑release products to provide solve high‑value customer problems.

• Focus on projects related to new product introduction such as characterization, alpha testing, beta testing and pilot tools in the ramp phase.
• Potentially support the development of a system at the customer site.
• Perform product diagnosis, problem resolution, collaborate with software and systems engineering to verify that hardware and software problems have been resolved.
• Conduct customer product demonstrations and technical training including on‑site training of Applications Engineers and end users.
• Document all test results and lessons learned in BKMs (Best Known Methods), training documents, Demo reports, or, Alpha/Beta test reports and transfer product knowledge to other Applications teams.
• Generate demo and test reports for internal and customer review.

Requirements

• Masters or PhD, in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Material Science or related fields.
• We are looking for high energy, self‑driven and motivated engineers who are interested in working in high‑tech environment. The semiconductor space is a fast‑paced, vibrant environment that gives applications engineers a lot of autonomy to work and drive projects on their own. Ideal candidates will appreciate the opportunity to have high levels of accountability, work well with limited supervision and thrive in a work environment where they can lead their own projects.
• Must have excellent oral and written communication, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
• Candidate must be an outstanding teammate.
• Additional (< 50%) domestic and international travel may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master’s Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor’s Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years

Base Pay Range: $93,300.00 - $158,600.00 Annually

Primary Location: USA-MI-Ann Arbor-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and 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 and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.

Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. 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.

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.