Senior Field Service Engineer - Site Lead MOCVD

AIXTRON INC; Sugar Land (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flat hierarchies

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Training and development

Job summary

Aixtron INC seeks a site lead engineer to manage installation and commissioning of MO/CVD semiconductor equipment at customer sites. You will oversee pre‑installation activities, acceptance, and then lead maintenance and upgrades, directing field service and process engineers on-site.

The role requires 5–7 years in semiconductor R&D or production, strong hardware and process engineering skills, and travel 20–30% internationally. Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5–7 years in R&D or production in the semiconductor industry as project/team lead or Sr. Hardware/Process Engineer; direct experience with compound semiconductors and MOCVD is a plus.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, pneumatics, fluids, thermodynamics, materials, chemistry, vacuum systems, robotics, and electro‑mechanical control systems in semiconductor equipment.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings and electrical schematics; proficient with hand tools and test equipment.
• Excellent written and oral communication; able to interface across functions.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally 20–30% of the time.
• Desirable: RCA, CAPA, SPC, KPI reporting, LEAN & Six Sigma, SOP generation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate with the customer on facility requirements and acceptance stages.
• Troubleshoot, repair, perform maintenance, and monitor Aixtron reactors at customer sites.
• Perform upgrades, warranty/service work, and system installations as needed.
• Act as the liaison, providing status updates and addressing customer concerns.
• Document system issues and actions taken; maintain reports on tools and quality.
• Meet with customers regularly to address problems and opportunities.
• Coordinate and lead Joint Action Plan meetings with customers.
• Allocate resources, including after-hours support, as needed.
• Train less experienced staff and customer personnel on equipment operations.

Skills

R&D leadership

Semiconductor know‑how

MOCVD operations

Hardware engineering

Process engineering

Project management

Communication skills

Data analysis (RCA, SPC)

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

Helium leak checker

Multimeter

Job description

Growing markets

Power electronics (GaN, SiC), opto-electronics (GaAs, InP), and micro‑LEDs (GaN, GaAs) are expanding rapidly, and we expect strong continued growth in these segments. Customer service is essential to support this momentum.

Job Description:

In the role of “site lead engineer”, you are responsible as the project manager for leading the installation of our (MO)CVD semiconductor equipment from pre‑installation activities to technical acceptance by customer. You will also serve as a liaison between customers and all components of the company throughout the process. After technical acceptance of the semiconductor equipment, the Site Lead Engineer will lead all support in the operations, maintenance, repair, and upgrade of the equipment. Finally, the position will direct all field service and process engineers on‑site and is responsible for maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction while representing the interests of the company.

Responsibilities:

• Lead & coordinate with the customer on facility requirements, reactor pre‑installation, hardware & software acceptance, & process acceptance, including resources and schedule planning.
• Lead the troubleshooting, repair, preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, and system monitoring of Aixtron reactors at customer’s site according to the on‑site service contract or as part of key account management.
• Will also perform upgrades, warranty/service repairs, troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, system monitoring, and system installation as needed.
• Act as a company liaison: provide status reports, respond to requests for additional information, address customer concerns, advise customer of schedule changes, updates on required parts availability, and assist in parts identification.
• Provide accurate documentation on all system problems and actions taken.
• Meets with customers on a regular basis to address problems/issues.
• Manages and maintains all reports on customer issues, tools status and quality, and escalates to Aixtron support.
• Coordinates and leads Joint Action Plan meetings with the customer.
• Prioritize tasks and allocate required resources of parts and manpower, including during off‑hours, weekend, and holidays, when needed.
• Train less experienced employees and customer representatives on equipment operations, maintenance, and reactor monitoring

Physical Demands:

• Frequent standing; occasional bending and squatting
• Might be requested to work off‑hours, including weekends, up to 12‑hour shifts & lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to participate in clean room contamination exposure prevention requirements, such as wearing appropriate apparatus (SCBA), etc.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• A Bachelor’s Degree (MS or PhD preferred) in Engineering or equivalent experience and knowledge.
• At least 5-7 years of experience in R&D and/or production environment within the semiconductor industry as project and/or team lead, Sr. Hardware Engineer, or Sr. Process Engineer. Direct experience with compound semiconductor & MOCVD operations, maintenance, hardware engineering, and process engineering is a plus.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, pneumatics, fluids, thermodynamics, materials, chemistry, vacuum systems, robotics, and electro‑mechanical control system diagnostics procedures for semiconductor capital equipment or similar equipment.
• Adept in mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, hand tools, multimeter, Helium leak checker, and high purity gas supply systems.
• A high level of written and oral communication skills is required.This position will be required to interface across all functions of the customer’s and Aixtron’s organization.
• The ability to travel domestic and internationally at least 20-30% of the time.
• Working knowledge in the following areas is highly desirable:
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) & Corrective Action Preventive Action Request (CAPAR)
• Data Collection & Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Characterization methods used in semiconductor manufacturing
• Hardware to Process Interrelations
• Project Management/Supervisory Experience
• Generating KPI reports for OEE, Yield, & Throughput
• Contamination Control in semicoductor manufacturing
• LEAN & Six Sigma Concepts used in production environment
• Quality Control Systems & Process Change Control
• Generation of SOPs
• Didactic training skills at different technical levels

We offer:

• A challenging field of activity with great creative potential at an innovative, international and expanding technological leader
• Flat hierarchies and direct interdisciplinary cooperation
• Working in a state‑of‑the‑artwork environment with the latest and most innovative methods in an intercultural team with highly motivated colleagues
• Targeted personnel development through continuous specialized factory, field and self‑paced training and development of personal skills