Senior Trainer, Manufacturing Operations

Veeco Instruments Inc.; New Jersey; On-site; USD 94,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

401(k) with Company Match

Flexible Spending Accounts

Life and Disability Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Veeco Instruments Inc. in Somerset, NJ, seeks a Senior Trainer for Manufacturing Operations to design and implement a level-based qualification system across manufacturing platforms, improving technician readiness, troubleshooting consistency, and equipment uptime.

You will develop training content, certify technicians, and coach trainers to build a pipeline of future technical leaders while aligning with engineering and manufacturing processes.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in science, engineering, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience or equivalent military training/education.
• Experience training or qualifying technicians in manufacturing environments, especially semiconductor equipment.
• Ability to create structured training content and qualification criteria aligned with engineering processes.

Responsibilities

• Build and continuously improve a level-based training and certification program for new hires and experienced staff.
• Certify technicians to assemble, integrate, test, and troubleshoot semiconductor capital equipment.
• Translate field failures into updated training content and standardized troubleshooting methods.
• Define platform-specific learning paths covering vacuum, gas delivery, RF, plasma, PLCs, safety, and power distribution.
• Create qualification records, skills matrices, work instructions, and a searchable knowledge base.
• Teach problem solving using structured methods and escalation paths.
• Develop trainers to coach technicians and expand cross-training while maintaining safety and quality.

Skills

Semiconductor assembly

Training development

Technical coaching

Root cause analysis

Hands-on teaching

Education

Associate degree in science/engineering or equivalent

Tools

Electrical schematics

Process instrumentation diagrams

RF systems knowledge

Job description

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Senior Trainer, Manufacturing Operations

Location: US - NJ - Somerset

Requisition ID: 20202

About Veeco
You probably don’t realize it, but what we do at Veeco touches the lives of every person, every day. It’s a bold statement, but it’s true. From the smartphones in our pockets that access the world’s collective knowledge, to the cloud-based services where all that information lives, to high-speed wireless communication and computing power needed to drive artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, gaming and so much more, our technology is all around us.

We design, develop, manufacture, and service highly complex, cutting-edge machines used by our customers to create the essential devices that drive the digital age, connect the world, and improve the human experience. Along with the world’s leading technology companies, many of which are household names, we help solve their most difficult material science challenges, enabling technologies for a more connected, sustainable, and convenient world.

We’re looking for material difference-makers to join our growing team.

OVERVIEW

Veeco's Somerset production organization must build advanced semiconductor equipment safely, correctly, and efficiently across multiple product platforms while developing technicians fast enough to meet manufacturing demand. As Senior Trainer, Manufacturing Operations, you will create the level-based qualification system that turns technical knowledge into repeatable capability across Manufacturing, Assembly, Integration, and Final Test. Your work will improve technician readiness, troubleshooting consistency, out-of-box quality, and equipment uptime for ion beam deposition, ion beam etch, physical vapor deposition, diamond‑like carbon, metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and optical coating systems. You will shape the training architecture, certification standards, technical content, and train‑the‑trainer model that prepare today's technicians and tomorrow's technical leaders.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and continuously improve a level-based technical training and certification program that defines clear readiness standards for new hires, experienced technicians, and employees advancing into more complex roles.
• Qualify technicians to assemble, integrate, test, commission, and troubleshoot semiconductor capital equipment through classroom instruction, hands‑on practice, on‑the‑job learning, written assessments, and practical demonstrations.
• Translate field failures, manufacturing defects, engineering changes, and lessons learned into realistic simulations, standardized troubleshooting methods, and updated training content that improve out‑of‑box quality and equipment uptime.
• Establish platform‑specific learning paths covering vacuum systems, gas delivery, radio frequency systems, plasma sources, programmable logic controls, safety interlocks, motion control, electrical power distribution, sensors, actuators, and process qualification.
• Create and govern qualification records, skills matrices, work instructions, training manuals, technical guides, visual aids, and a searchable knowledge base that remain aligned with current engineering and manufacturing processes.
• Define escalation paths and teach structured problem solving, including design of experiments, Eight Disciplines, Five Whys, and fishbone analysis, so technicians can isolate root causes and resolve issues with appropriate urgency.
• Develop supervisors, leads, and qualified trainers to coach technicians consistently, expand cross‑training, reinforce safe work practices, and strengthen the pipeline of future technical leaders.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate degree in science, engineering, or a related technical field and at least 8 years of relevant experience; equivalent military technical education and experience also qualify.
• Professional experience assembling, integrating, qualifying, or troubleshooting semiconductor process equipment in a manufacturing environment.
• Professional experience training or qualifying test, assembly, integration, or final test technicians in a manufacturing environment.
• Hands‑on experience in several of these technical areas: vacuum technology, electromechanical systems, radio frequency systems, plasma systems, programmable logic controls, motion control, process controls, or equipment qualification.
• Experience creating technical training content, work instructions, qualification criteria, or certification records.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Deep working knowledge of semiconductor equipment assembly, integration, startup, testing, process qualification, preventive maintenance, and systematic troubleshooting.
• Skilled in high‑vacuum and ultra‑high‑vacuum operation, including cryogenic pumps, turbomolecular pumps, roughing pumps, leak detection, vacuum fault isolation, and residual gas analyzer data interpretation.
• Ability to read and teach from electrical schematics and process and instrumentation diagrams, then apply them to power distribution, sensor, actuator, interlock, and commissioning diagnostics.
• Knowledge of radio frequency generator operation, matching networks, plasma source fundamentals, arc detection, source alignment, beam characterization, and performance optimization.
• Ability to convert complex technical work into structured learning objectives, realistic practice scenarios, objective assessments, and clear qualification thresholds.
• Skilled at explaining complex equipment behavior in clear language for technicians, supervisors, engineers, and cross‑functional partners, both in the classroom and on the production floor.
• A coaching approach that builds accountability, encourages questions, gives specific feedback, and develops other trainers without lowering safety or quality standards.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The expected salary range for this position is $94,317.00 — $125,756.00, plus a bonus opportunity. We will consider your location, experience, and other job‑related factors when determining your pay.

Other benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Holiday, Vacation, and Sick Time
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Life and Accident Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Identity Theft Remediation
• Emergency Travel Assistance

Veeco is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected characteristics. Veeco is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.