Quality Engineer

Applied Materials; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 96,500 - 132,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Stock award program

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Applied Materials is seeking a Quality Engineer for its SPG metrology group in Santa Clara to drive a structured quality program across FIB/TEM operations. You will define standards, track metrics, and lead root-cause resolution to prevent repeat problems.

You’ll partner with engineers, technicians, and BU stakeholders to align requirements and improve processes, ensuring timely, high-quality outputs as the organization scales.

Qualifications

• Minimum B.S. or higher in a related field.
• 3+ years of quality, metrology, characterization, failure analysis, or process engineering experience.
• Working knowledge of a metrology or lab environment with ability to judge output against requirements.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a structured, data-driven approach.
• Strong communication skills to work across teams and drive alignment.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain clear quality standards and acceptance criteria across the FIB/TEM metrology group, ensuring consistency across tools, operators, and shifts.
• Establish and track key quality metrics (rework rate, time-to-resolve, on-time delivery, BU satisfaction) and identify trends for improvements.
• Lead root-cause analysis, coordinate across teams, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Clarify requirements with BU customers and internal teams to reduce ambiguity and prevent rework.
• Identify common failure patterns and drive improvements to processes, workflows, and documentation at the system level.
• Develop practical quality checkpoints within FIB/TEM workflows to improve consistency without slowing operations.
• Collaborate with engineers, technicians, and BU stakeholders to communicate findings and support continuous improvement.

Skills

Quality engineering

Metrology

Data-driven

Problem solving

Cross-functional communication

Education

B.S. or higher in related field

Tools

Python

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting‑edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

Salary: $96,500.00 - $132,500.00

Location: Santa Clara, CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

About The Role

Applied Materials’ SPG metrology group supports a wide range of business units (BUs) by delivering sample preparation, imaging, and measurement data. As the scope and volume of work continue to grow, maintaining consistent, high-quality output becomes increasingly important.

We are looking for a Quality Engineer to help build and drive a more structured approach to quality across the FIB/TEM lab. In this role, you will define quality standards for our metrology operations, establish and track key metrics, and lead root‑cause resolution when issues arise. You will help build a closed‑loop quality system and strengthen the feedback mechanisms that prevent repeat problems.

This is a system-focused, cross-functional role with broad influence across operations, engineering teams, and BU customers. Success comes from the ability to connect teams, bring clarity and structure where needed, and help the organization operate more consistently as it scales.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and maintain clear quality standards and acceptance criteria across the FIB/TEM metrology group, and ensure they are applied consistently across tools, operators, and shifts.
• Establish and track key quality metrics for FiB/TEM (such as rework rate, time‑to‑resolve, on‑time delivery, and BU satisfaction), and use them to identify trends and drive improvements.
• Serve as the focal point for quality issues and escalations. Lead root‑cause analysis, coordinate across teams, and ensure corrective and preventive actions are implemented and followed through.
• Work with BU customers and internal teams to clarify and align requirements upfront (e.g., ROI, cut direction, imaging expectations, deliverables), reducing ambiguity and preventing rework.
• Identify common failure patterns and drive improvements to processes, workflows, and documentation to address them at the system level.
• Develop and introduce practical quality checkpoints within FIB/TEM workflows to improve consistency without slowing down operations.
• Partner closely with engineers, technicians, and BU stakeholders to communicate findings, align expectations, and support continuous improvement across the group.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in related field.
• 3+ years of experience in quality, metrology, characterization, failure analysis, or process engineering.
• Working knowledge of a metrology or lab environment, with the ability to judge whether output meets requirements.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with a structured, data‑driven approach.
• Strong communication skills, able to work across teams, clarify unclear requirements, and drive alignment without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with semiconductor metrology or electron microscopy (FIB, TEM, SEM).
• Familiarity with quality methods (e.g., SPC, measurement system analysis, DOE, or Six Sigma).
• Experience using data tools (e.g., Python, Power BI, Tableau) for analysis and reporting.
• Exposure to automation, data modeling, or data‑driven approaches to quality improvement.

What We’re Looking For

• Someone who looks beyond individual issues and focuses on preventing them from happening again.
• Clear and practical communicator who can bridge gaps between customers, engineers, and operations teams.
• Comfortable working in a cross‑functional environment and influencing without formal authority.
• Able to balance the need for speed (turn‑around time) with the need for consistent, reliable data.
• Organized and proactive, with the ability to take ownership of building and improving a function over time.

Additional Information

• Time Type: Full time
• Employee Type: Assignee / Regular
• Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time
• Relocation Eligible: Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e‑mail at [e-mail], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877‑612‑7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.