Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist

San Diego Stealth Startup; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

San Diego Stealth Startup seeks a Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist to develop and scale surface chemistry processes, including cleaning, coating, silanization, and other surface modifications. The role blends lab work with process engineering across deposition systems, plasma tools, and automation.

The candidate will design experiments, optimize process parameters, and transfer processes to manufacturing, while mentoring junior scientists in a fast-paced, collaborative setting.

Qualifications

• M.S. (+8 years) or Ph.D. (+4 years) in Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, or related field.
• Expertise in surface processing and process development.
• Experience with coating methods including spin and dunk coating.
• Experience with plasma cleaning equipment and CMP/surface planarization.
• Experience with vapor-phase deposition processes and surface characterization.

Responsibilities

• Develop surface processing methods including cleaning, deposition, coating, curing, and QC.
• Develop robust vapor‑phase deposition processes including silanization and other surface modification techniques, with emphasis on process uniformity, reproducibility, and manufacturability.
• Lead development, optimization, qualification, and troubleshooting of plasma cleaning processes.
• Specify, develop, optimize, and troubleshoot process equipment including vapor deposition systems, plasma tools, ovens, wet processing tools, and related automation.
• Establish process windows, critical process parameters, and statistical process controls for surface treatments.
• Design and execute statistically rigorous experiments (DOE) to understand process interactions and optimize surface performance.
• Characterize processed surfaces using ellipsometry, contact angle, AFM, optical microscopy, fluorescence imaging, profilometry, XPS, SEM, and related methods.
• Translate laboratory processes into scalable manufacturing methods with high yield and reproducibility.
• Drive equipment selection, installation, qualification, and process transfer to manufacturing.
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers while fostering rigorous experimental design, scientific curiosity, and rapid technical iteration.

Skills

Surface processing

Process development

DOE

Statistical analysis

Communication

Education

MS in related field

PhD in related field

Tools

JMP

Python

R

XPS

AFM

Job description

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Salary Range: $150,000 - $160,000

Position Overview

We are seeking a Staff Surface Process Engineer / Surface Chemist to develop and scale surface chemistry processes. This role combines deep expertise in precision substrate processing, process equipment engineering and surface chemistry with hands‑on laboratory work in a fast‑paced, multidisciplinary environment.

The successful candidate will drive development of surface chemistry processes including cleaning, coating and surface functionalization and other processes. This role requires experience with equipment used to manufacture and characterize these surfaces.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop surface processing methods including cleaning, deposition, coating, curing, and QC.
• Develop robust vapor‑phase deposition processes including silanization and other surface modification techniques, with emphasis on process uniformity, reproducibility, and manufacturability.
• Lead development, optimization, qualification, and troubleshooting of plasma cleaning processes.
• Specify, develop, optimize, and troubleshoot process equipment including vapor deposition systems, plasma tools, ovens, wet processing tools, and related automation.
• Establish process windows, critical process parameters, and statistical process controls for surface treatments.
• Design and execute statistically rigorous experiments (DOE) to understand process interactions and optimize surface performance.
• Characterize processed surfaces using techniques such as ellipsometry, contact angle, AFM, optical microscopy, fluorescence imaging, profilometry, XPS, SEM, and related analytical methods.
• Translate laboratory processes into scalable manufacturing methods with high yield and reproducibility.
• Drive equipment selection, installation, qualification, and process transfer to manufacturing.
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers while fostering rigorous experimental design, scientific curiosity, and rapid technical iteration.

Qualifications

Required:

• M.S. (+8 years of relevant industrial experience) or Ph.D. (+ 4 years) in Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated expertise in surface processing and process development.
• Extensive experience in one or more of the following:
• Coating methods including spin coating and dunk coating
• Plasma cleaning equipment
• Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), surface planarization
• Vapor‑phase surface deposition processes and equipment
• Wet chemical cleaning and substrate preparation
• Strong understanding of process development for glass, silicon, metal oxide, and other semiconductor-related materials.
• Experience developing manufacturing‑ready surface processes with an emphasis on spatial uniformity, repeatability, process capability, and yield.
• Experience selecting, operating, qualifying, and troubleshooting process equipment.
• Experience with statistical experimental design (DOE), process optimization, and statistical analysis tools (JMP, Python, R, etc.).
• Experience using surface characterization techniques including ellipsometry, contact angle, AFM, profilometry, fluorescence microscopy, SEM, XPS, or related methods.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑moving, highly collaborative environment.
• Hands‑on willingness to develop and troubleshoot processes in the laboratory.

Preferred:

• Experience with biotechnological device manufacturing.
• Experience integrating surface chemistry with photolithography, nanoimprint lithography, or other advanced fabrication techniques.
• Experience transferring laboratory processes into pilot or high‑volume manufacturing.
• Experience supporting manufacturing equipment qualification and process validation.

Why Join Us

• Work with a multidisciplinary team spanning chemistry, engineering, optics, biology and manufacturing.
• Play a central role in developing scalable processes from research through commercialization.
• Competitive compensation, equity, comprehensive benefits, and flexibility to support work-life integration.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thrive on diversity and collaboration