Systems Engineer 1

Onto Innovation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

Life/disability insurance

Paid time off (PTO)

401(k) with employer match

Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Wellness initiatives

Job summary

Onto Innovation is seeking a Systems Engineer to install, integrate, troubleshoot, and field‑ready advanced semiconductor inspection systems. This on‑site role in Wilmington, MA requires up to 60% travel to support deployments, upgrades, and tool acceptance with customers.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in electro‑mechanical or metrology environments and can collaborate with engineering, operations, and product teams to ensure reliable system performance and quick issue resolution.

Qualifications

• Experience troubleshooting electro‑mechanical systems using schematics, drawings, and diagnostic tools.
• Strong collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, field support, and customers in high‑urgency environments.
• Travel up to 60% and ability to work on-site in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Support system installation, alignment, calibration, troubleshooting, and acceptance activities.
• Diagnose electro‑mechanical, optical, automation, software, and subsystem issues in lab, manufacturing, and customer environments.
• Partner with engineering to execute test plans, collect diagnostic data, and validate corrective actions.
• Provide hands‑on support for customer escalations, field upgrades, and preventive maintenance.
• Document service findings, configuration changes, and lessons learned to improve repeatability.
• Collaborate with field service, product support, manufacturing, and supply chain to close technical gaps.
• Maintain safe working practices in lab, cleanroom, manufacturing, and customer sites.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to reduce downtime and improve first‑pass success.

Skills

Electro-mechanical troubleshooting

System installation support

Customer-facing support

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel readiness up to 60%

Education

Associate degree or technical certificate in electronics / mechatronics

Related engineering technology degree (AA/AS, AAS)

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

Onto Innovation is seeking a Systems Engineer to support the installation, integration, troubleshooting, and field readiness of advanced semiconductor inspection and metrology systems within the Panel and Patterning Engineering organization. This individual contributor role supports engineering, operations, field service, technical product support, manufacturing, product management, supply chain, and strategic customers to ensure reliable system performance and timely issue resolution. The role is primarily on-site in Wilmington, Massachusetts, with travel up to 60% to support customer deployments, escalations, upgrades, and tool acceptance activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Support system installation, alignment, calibration, troubleshooting, and acceptance activities for semiconductor inspection and metrology tools.
• Diagnose electro-mechanical, optical, automation, software, and subsystem-level issues in laboratory, manufacturing, and customer environments.
• Partner with engineering teams to execute test plans, capture diagnostic data, and validate corrective actions.
• Provide hands‑on support for customer escalations, field upgrades, preventive maintenance, and system recovery activities.
• Document service findings, configuration changes, work instructions, and lessons learned to improve repeatability.
• Collaborate with field service, technical product support, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, and product management to close technical gaps.
• Maintain safe working practices in lab, cleanroom, manufacturing, and customer‑site environments.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that reduce downtime, improve first‑pass success, and strengthen customer confidence.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience supporting complex electro‑mechanical, optical, automation, semiconductor equipment, or precision instrumentation systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex systems using electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, diagnostic tools, test procedures, and structured problem‑solving methods.
• Experience working directly with engineering, manufacturing, field support, and customers in high‑urgency technical environments.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor equipment, metrology or inspection systems, motion control, pneumatics, robotics, sensors, machine vision, and system‑level calibration.
• Ability to travel as required and work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate degree or technical certificate in electronics, mechatronics, mechanical technology, engineering technology, robotics, or a related discipline.
• Experience in semiconductor capital equipment, advanced packaging, inspection, metrology, lithography, process control, or high‑precision automation.
• Cleanroom experience, customer‑site installation experience, and familiarity with formal issue tracking, ECO, and configuration control processes are strongly preferred.
• Certifications in safety, electrical troubleshooting, robotics, vacuum systems, or lean manufacturing are beneficial.

Education Requirements

• Minimum education: associate degree, technical diploma, military technical training, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• Preferred education: associate or bachelor’s degree in engineering technology, electronics, mechatronics, mechanical technology, robotics, or a related technical field.
• Equivalent experience may substitute for formal education when supported by demonstrated technical capability.

Success Characteristics

• Successful candidates demonstrate strong communication skills, analytical troubleshooting capability, independent thinking, assertiveness, disciplined execution, ownership, accountability, and the ability to perform effectively in a fast‑paced customer‑focused environment.
• First‑year success includes supporting successful tool installations and upgrades, reducing open field issues, improving documentation quality, strengthening cross‑functional response time, and earning confidence from engineering, field service, and strategic customers.

Working Conditions and Travel

This role is primarily on‑site in Wilmington, Massachusetts, with domestic and international travel up to 60%. Must be able to occasionally lift up to 40 pounds and work safely in laboratory, manufacturing, cleanroom, customer‑site, and office environments. Must comply with company safety standards and customer‑site requirements.

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:

$60,080.00 - $90,120.00, 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).