Staff Program Manager

Onto Innovation; Milpitas (CA); On-site; USD 144,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

PTO (paid time off)

401(k) with employer match

Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Wellness initiatives

Job summary

Onto Innovation is seeking a Semiconductor Inspection Product Manager to bridge customer defect-detection needs with engineering. You will oversee the full lifecycle of inspection, metrology, and yield-management tools, guiding roadmaps, specifications, and cross-functional alignment to maximize revenue in a competitive market.

The role requires 8+ years in product management in the semiconductor capital equipment sector, deep domain knowledge, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of product management, technical marketing, or equipment engineering in semiconductor capital equipment or test/measurement industries.
• Direct knowledge of wafer fab tools, macro/micro defect inspection, metrology, optics, imaging, or AI-driven defect classification.
• Strong analytical and executive-level communication skills to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Define product strategy and roadmaps from VoC and market trends into PRDs and long-term plans.
• Own the product lifecycle from concept, through stage-gate reviews, production release, CIP, to EOL.
• Develop pricing strategies and perform competitive analysis to secure market share.
• Lead technology review meetings and support technical account managers, addressing field or manufacturing escalations.
• Align engineering, operations, and marketing to ensure system performance, manufacturability and on-time delivery.
• Travel internationally to customer sites at least 20% of the time, with additional travel as needed.

Skills

Executive-level communication

Matrix-management

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE/Physics/Materials Science or related field

MS or PhD preferred for highly technical hardware

Job description

Onto Innovation is a leader in process control, combining global scale with an expanded portfolio of leading-edge technologies that include: 3D metrology spanning the chip from nanometer-scale transistors to micron-level die-interconnects; macro defect inspection of wafers and packages; metal interconnect composition; factory analytics; and lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Our breadth of offerings across the entire semiconductor value chain helps our customers solve their most difficult yield, device performance, quality, and reliability issues. Onto Innovation strives to optimize customers’ critical path of progress by making them smarter, faster and more efficient.

Job Summary & Responsibilities

A Semiconductor Inspection Product Manager bridges the gap between customer defect-detection needs and internal engineering. They oversee the full lifecycle of inspection, metrology, and yield-management tools, managing roadmaps, defining specifications, and aligning technical teams to maximize revenue in a highly competitive market.

Core Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & Roadmap: Collect and distill the Voice of the Customer (VoC) and market trends to define PRDs (Product Requirements Documents) and long-term product roadmaps.
• Life-Cycle Management: Own the product from concept, through stage-gate (PDR) reviews, production release, and Continuous Improvement Programs (CIP), all the way to End-of-Life (EOL).
• Technical Marketing & Pricing: Formulate product positioning, value proposition, pricing strategies, and competitive analysis to secure market share.
• Customer Engagement & Escalations: Lead technology review meetings, support technical account managers, and drive resolution for field or manufacturing-based customer escalations.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Align engineering, operations, and marketing teams to ensure system performance, manufacturability, and timely delivery.
• Must be able to travel internationally to customer sites at least 20% of the time, with additional travel as business needs require.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications & Background

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a related technical field; Advanced degrees (MS or PhD) are heavily preferred for highly technical hardware.
• Experience: Typically 8+ years of experience in product management, technical marketing, or equipment engineering within the semiconductor capital equipment or test and measurement industries.
• Domain Expertise: Direct knowledge of wafer fab tools, macro/micro defect inspection, metrology, optics, imaging, or AI-driven defect classification.
• Analytical Skills: Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings, system block diagrams, software requirements, and hardware specifications.
• Soft Skills: Strong executive-level communication and matrix-management skills to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority

Why Join Onto Innovation?

At Onto Innovation, we believe your work should matter—and so should your well-being. That’s why we offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family. From health, dental, and vision coverage to life and disability insurance, PTO, and a 401(k) with employer match, we’ve got you covered. You’ll also enjoy access to our Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), wellness initiatives, and cutting-edge tools—all within a collaborative, inclusive culture where your contributions are valued and recognized.

Compensation & Growth

Base Salary Range:

$144,000.00 - $216,000.00, offered in good faith and based on experience, location, and qualifications.

• Additional Rewards: Annual bonus opportunities and potential long-term incentives tied to both company and individual success.

Empowering Every Voice to Shape the Future:

Onto Innovation is committed to creating a workplace where every qualified candidate has an equal opportunity to succeed. We evaluate applicants based on skills, experience, and potential - without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe diversity of thought and background drives innovation and strengthens our team.

Important Note on Export Compliance

For certain positions requiring access to technical data, U.S. export licensing review may be necessary for applicants who are not U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, or other protected persons under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).