Senior Mechatronic Systems Architect

Cohu, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cohu, Inc. in San Diego, CA, is seeking a seasoned system-level leader to guide the development of advanced mechatronic platforms for semiconductor backend equipment.

You will translate complex requirements into robust architectures, balancing performance, reliability, usability, and cost. You’ll drive cross-domain integration of mechanical, electrical, thermal, and software domains, mentor interdisciplinary teams, and ensure certifications and documentation are in place.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechatronics, mechanical, or electrical engineering (MSc/MEng desired).
• 10+ years in system-level leadership of complex mechatronic development, ideally in semiconductor backend equipment.
• 5+ years as a direct engineer in a discipline.
• Proven track record in system engineering, machine concept development, and cross-functional leadership.
• Deep understanding of thermal systems, motion control, sensor integration and machine intelligence.
• Experience with requirement engineering, risk management, and certification processes.
• Strong knowledge of modeling tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink), CAE, and system simulation.
• Excellent English communication skills; German and/or French are a plus.
• Willingness to travel internationally up to 20%.

Responsibilities

• Conduct system-level requirement analysis and author technical specifications and design briefs for platforms, machines, and modules.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of technical concepts in collaboration with domain experts, based on functional, economic, and risk criteria.
• Ensure architectural consistency and interface compatibility across subsystems and modules.
• Guide the development of subsystem concepts and validate their feasibility through analytical modeling and simulation.
• Facilitate design reviews and ensure that development progress aligns with system-level objectives.
• Drive risk assessments and initiate necessary pre-development or technology validation activities.
• Ensure compliance with certification requirements (e.g., CE, SEMI, RoHS) and support the preparation of documentation.
• Support patent applications and the protection of intellectual property arising from system innovations.
• Present technical solutions and resolve system-level issues in collaboration with customers and stakeholders.
• May provide full system "architecture(s)" for new concepts and/or customer driven ideations.

Skills

System engineering leadership

Mechatronics

Cross-functional leadership

Requirement engineering

Modeling & simulation

MATLAB/Simulink

Thermal systems

Travel readiness

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechatronics/mechanical/electrical engineering

MSc/MEng preferred

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

CAE

System simulation tools

Job description

Cohu, Inc. in San Diego, CA, is seeking a seasoned system-level leader to guide the development of advanced mechatronic platforms for semiconductor backend equipment.

You will translate complex requirements into robust architectures, balancing performance, reliability, usability, and cost. You’ll drive cross-domain integration of mechanical, electrical, thermal, and software domains, mentor interdisciplinary teams, and ensure certifications and documentation are in place.