Senior Mechanical Design Engineer – Precision Systems

KLA; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 120,700 - 205,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) match

Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)

Job summary

KLA, a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing solutions, is seeking a Precision Mechanical Design Engineer in Ann Arbor, MI. This hands-on role focuses on designing and delivering precision motion systems for advanced semiconductor equipment.

The candidate will lead from concept through prototype, perform FEA and thermal analyses, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to ensure robust, manufacturable designs. Excellent CAD proficiency required.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s with relevant experience in precision mechanical design
• Experience with precision positioning systems, flexures, and high-performance automation
• Strong background in CAD, FEA, and thermal/structural analyses

Responsibilities

• Design and develop next-generation precision motion systems for semiconductor equipment.
• Own designs from concept through prototype, test, and product implementation.
• Perform mechanical analyses: FEA, structural dynamics, vibration, thermal.
• Apply precision engineering principles: flexure design, tolerancing, thermal stability.
• Create CAD models, drawings, and documentation.
• Prototype motion systems and refine through testing.
• Collaborate with systems, controls, manufacturing, and physics teams.

Skills

Precision machine design

Motion system architecture

FEA

Structural dynamics

Vibration analysis

Thermal analysis

Creo

NX

SolidWorks

First-principles engineering

Education

PhD in relevant field

MS in relevant field

BS in relevant field

Tools

Creo

NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Company Overview

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice‑controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that advance humanity all begin with inspiration, research, and development. KLA focuses more than the average on innovation and invests 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem‑solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

Group / Division

With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers worldwide rely on KLA to ensure their fabs ramp next‑generation devices to volume production quickly and cost‑effectively. Enabling the movement toward advanced chip design, KLA’s Global Products Group (GPG) is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products. The group is looking for researchers, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. Central Engineering is KLA’s largest engineering organization, comprised of nine Centers of Excellence (CoE) across disciplines such as Handling & Automation, Precision Motion Control, Sensors & Image Acquisition, Platform Design, and Packaging Engineering. These CoE contribute talent, best practices, roadmaps, and specialized facilities that differentiate KLA in both what we do and how we do it.

Design Technology That Pushes the Limits of Precision

At KLA, we solve some of the most challenging engineering problems in the semiconductor industry. We’re looking for a highly skilled Precision Mechanical Design Engineer who is passionate about designing precision motion systems and thrives on turning complex concepts into innovative, real‑world solutions. This is not a coordination role – it’s a hands‑on engineering position for someone who loves designing, modeling, analyzing, building, testing, and improving precision mechanical systems. If you enjoy spending your day deep in CAD, engineering analysis, prototype development, and solving difficult technical problems with a team of exceptional engineers, you’ll feel right at home.

What You’ll Do

• Design and develop next‑generation precision motion systems used in advanced semiconductor equipment.
• Own designs from concept through prototype, test, and product implementation.
• Perform mechanical analysis, including finite element analysis (FEA), structural dynamics, vibration analysis, and thermal analysis.
• Apply principles of precision engineering including kinematic constraint, flexure design, thermal stability, tolerance analysis, and precision mechanisms.
• Create detailed CAD models, engineering drawings, and documentation.
• Design, procure, assemble, test, and refine prototype motion systems.
• Collaborate with systems, controls, manufacturing, and physics teams to solve complex multidisciplinary challenges.
• Influence technical direction and contribute directly to key design decisions.

Qualifications

• Passionate about mechanical design and creating elegant engineering solutions.
• Deep understanding of precision machine design and motion system architecture.
• Experience with precision positioning systems, flexures, precision mechanisms, or high‑performance automation equipment.
• Strong analytical foundation with expertise in:
  • Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
  • Structural Dynamics
  • Vibration Analysis
  • Thermal Analysis
• Advanced CAD proficiency (Creo, NX, SolidWorks, or similar).
• Ability to balance first‑principles engineering with practical design execution.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree with 3 years related work experience; Master’s Level Degree with 6 years related work experience; Bachelor’s Level Degree with 8 years related work experience.

Benefits

Base Pay Range: $120,700.00 – $205,200.00 annually. Primary location: USA‑MI‑Ann Arbor‑KLA. KLA’s total rewards package may also include participation in performance incentive programs, eligibility for additional benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, 401(K) with company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement, development and career growth opportunities, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits such as an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [e-mail] or +1‑408‑352‑2808 to request accommodation.