Senior Ceramic & Coatings Supplier Engineer (Semiconductors)

Acara Solutions, Inc.; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Acara Solutions is seeking a Product Engineer 4 / Supplier Engineer - Ceramics & Coatings in California to lead supplier qualifications, mitigate material risk, and drive quality improvements for critical ceramic and coating suppliers supporting advanced semiconductor products.

The role requires deep expertise in ceramic processes, thermal spray coatings, and materials characterization, with a proven ability to influence global teams and manage supplier quality and continuity initiatives.

Qualifications

• Must have Master's or PhD with 5+ years in relevant field.
• Experience in supplier engineering, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality engineering, or advanced materials development.
• Experience with ceramic manufacturing processes (forming, sintering, machining, grinding, polishing, finishing).
• Experience with thermal spray coatings and materials (alumina, yttria, rare-earth oxides).
• Experience evaluating material properties and manufacturing process impacts on performance.
• Experience with characterization tools (SEM/EDS, XRD) and statistical tools (JMP, Minitab).
• Experience in semiconductor equipment/materials or advanced manufacturing industries.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the Supplier Engineering SPOC for critical ceramic and coating suppliers.
• Lead efforts on material shortages, supplier recovery plans, and supply continuity.
• Drive cross-functional execution from risk identification to containment and production implementation.
• Develop and align qualification plans, acceptance criteria, testing requirements, and change management with Product Groups.
• Lead supplier technical reviews focusing on manufacturing capability, capacity, process controls, and readiness.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes (forming, sintering, machining, grinding, polishing, coating, finishing).
• Resolve supplier quality issues using 8D, PSDMP, FMEA, and 5-Why analysis.
• Conduct root-cause investigations and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain material risk dashboards, project trackers, qualification roadmaps, and executive reporting.
• Communicate risks and findings to cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Support supplier audits, qualifications, tech transfers, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Executive presentation skills

Communication skills

Analytical mindset

Project management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Education

Master's degree in Materials Science or Engineering

PhD in Materials Science or Engineering

Tools

SEM/EDS

XRD

JMP

Minitab

Job description

Acara Solutions is seeking a Product Engineer 4 / Supplier Engineer - Ceramics & Coatings in California to lead supplier qualifications, mitigate material risk, and drive quality improvements for critical ceramic and coating suppliers supporting advanced semiconductor products.

The role requires deep expertise in ceramic processes, thermal spray coatings, and materials characterization, with a proven ability to influence global teams and manage supplier quality and continuity initiatives.