Radiation Effects Staff Engineer

SkyWater Technology, Inc.; Minnesota; On-site; USD 114,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match

Life insurance

On-site fitness facility

Job summary

SkyWater Technology, Inc. is seeking a Radiation Effects Staff Engineer to lead RHBP/RHBD initiatives, radiation testing, and radiation-hardness assurance. You will act as the SME for internal teams and customers, guiding technology and IP development from requirements through production readiness.

You will develop test strategies, coordinate campaigns across X-ray, gamma, proton, neutron, and heavy-ion sources, and mentor engineers in radiation effects and reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or related discipline; 8+ years semiconductor experience.
• 5+ years direct radiation-effects/RHBP/RHBD experience; advanced degrees may substitute.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical authority for radiation environments, effects, test methods, and mitigation strategies.
• Lead RHBP/RHBD solution development for devices, circuits, IP, and platforms.
• Architect radiation test campaigns and define test conditions, dosimetry, and acceptance criteria.

Skills

leadership

radiation-effects

test-campaigns

communication

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

TCAD

Python

MATLAB

JMP

Job description

SkyWater is hiring a Radiation Effects Staff Engineer to provide technical leadership in developing, qualifying, and deploying radiation-hardened semiconductor technologies. This individual will serve as a subject-matter expert for internal development teams and external customers, with responsibility for radiation-hardness-by-process (RHBP), radiation-hardness-by-design (RHBD), radiation-effects testing, and radiation-hardness assurance.

The successful candidate will guide technology and IP development from requirements definition through test-chip design, radiation qualification, customer engagement, and production readiness.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as SkyWater’s technical authority for radiation environments, radiation effects, test methods, and mitigation strategies.
• Lead the development and implementation of RHBP and RHBD solutions for semiconductor devices, circuits, IP, and technology platforms.
• Translate mission environments and customer requirements into device, circuit, process, test, and qualification requirements.
• Provide expertise in total ionizing dose (TID), enhanced low-dose-rate sensitivity (ELDRS), displacement damage, and single-event effects, including SEU, SET, SEL, SEB, and SEGR.
• Architect radiation test chips, device structures, circuits, monitors, and supporting test hardware.
• Develop and lead radiation test campaigns using X-ray, gamma-ray, proton, neutron, and heavy-ion sources.
• Define test conditions, bias configurations, dosimetry, sample sizes, annealing requirements, data-analysis methods, and acceptance criteria.
• Analyze radiation-induced degradation and identify the underlying device, circuit, or process failure mechanisms.
• Guide process, device, design, reliability, and product teams in evaluating the performance, area, power, reliability, and manufacturing trade-offs associated with RHBP and RHBD.
• Develop radiation-hardness-assurance and qualification strategies consistent with applicable military, aerospace, JEDEC, and customer requirements.
• Support QML activities and compliance with MIL-PRF-38535 and relevant MIL-STD-883 and JEDEC radiation test methods.
• Prepare technical reports, qualification documentation, customer presentations, and design or process recommendations.
• Lead technical reviews with customers, government agencies, radiation facilities, and external partners.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen SkyWater’s internal radiation-effects and radiation-hardness capabilities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Eight or more years of relevant semiconductor experience, including at least five years of direct radiation-effects, RHBP, RHBD, or radiation-hardness-assurance experience. Advanced degrees may substitute for a portion of the experience requirement.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor-device physics, CMOS technologies, radiation-induced failure mechanisms, and reliability.
• Demonstrated experience planning, executing, and analyzing radiation test campaigns.
• Experience with TID and SEE testing and familiarity with proton, neutron, or displacement-damage testing.
• Knowledge of radiation-hardness qualification, QML requirements, and MIL-PRF-38535.
• Strong analytical, statistical, problem-solving, and technical communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical programs and work directly with customers.
• U.S. Person Requirement: This position requires access to information controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must qualify as U.S. persons as defined by ITAR, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, protected individuals granted asylum, or refugees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Nuclear Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with device-level radiation-effects modeling using TCAD, compact models, or circuit-level simulation.
• Experience developing or qualifying radiation-hardened bulk CMOS or SOI technologies.
• Familiarity with foundry process development, technology qualification, reliability testing, and manufacturing controls.
• Working knowledge of MIL-STD-883 radiation test methods, JESD57, QML-V, and radiation-hardness-assurance planning.
• Experience with laboratory automation, statistical analysis, and data-analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, or JMP.
• Record of technical leadership demonstrated through publications, patents, customer programs, or successful technology qualifications.

The annual salary range for this role is $114,320 - $171,480. Pay offered is based on many factors including, but not limited to, the job-related experience, skills, education, and credentials of each candidate.

SkyWater offers an exciting environment where the brightest semiconductor minds come together to achieve exceptional results. We offer competitive salary and an opportunity to participate in incentive plans as well as other employee financial benefits, including 401k match, and life insurance.

Additionally, SkyWater offers a comprehensive benefits package which promotes a healthy life. This includes benefit eligibility day one, medical, dental, mental health benefits, vision, legal planning, short- and long-term disability, paid time off, paid holidays, an on-site fitness facility, and an on-site self-serve market.