Wafer Fab Equipment Engineer

FLIR Systems, Inc.; Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated in Goleta, CA is seeking a Wafer Fab Equipment Engineer to own and improve fabrication tools used in low-rate production of infrared detector devices. You will troubleshoot complex issues, develop preventive maintenance strategies, and ensure tools are safe, available, and production-ready in a cleanroom environment.

You will collaborate with Process Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D teams, analyze performance metrics such as OEE, MTBF, and MTTR, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline (EE/ME/Materials) or related field.
• 1–5 years of experience supporting semiconductor/microfabrication equipment.
• Strong communication skills in English and proficiency with common software tools.
• Experience with preventive maintenance strategies and problem solving in a cleanroom.
• Familiarity with MTBF/MTTR/OEE concepts and data-driven maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Own and support assigned wafer fabrication tools and subsystems for low-rate production.
• Troubleshoot and resolve equipment issues impacting safety, yield, schedule, or throughput.
• Drive equipment reliability improvements through root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Process Engineers to meet process capability and control requirements.
• Support hands-on wafer processing and recovery activities for production lots.
• Collect, analyze, and trend equipment performance metrics (OEE, uptime, MTBF, MTTR).

Skills

Root-cause analysis

Troubleshooting

English communication

Hands-on equipment

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Materials Science or related field

Tools

JMP

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Be visionary Teledyne Technologies Incorporated provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets that require advanced technology and high reliability. These markets include aerospace and defense, factory automation, air and water quality environmental monitoring, electronics design and development, oceanographic research, deepwater oil and gas exploration and production, medical imaging and pharmaceutical research. We are looking for individuals who thrive on making an impact and want the excitement of being on a team that wins.

Job Summary:

As part of the Uncooled Detector (Focal Plane Array) Low-Rate Production team, the Wafer Fab Equipment Engineer will be responsible for the ownership, reliability, and continuous improvement of wafer fabrication equipment supporting low‑rate manufacturing of infrared detector devices. The role focuses on improving OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) for equipment used in plasma etch, thin film deposition, lithography, and wet processing, while ensuring tools are safe, available, capable, and production‑ready. The Equipment Engineer will be a liaison between process and maintenance providing hands‑on technical support for low-rate production activity; troubleshoot complex equipment issues; optimize preventive maintenance strategies; support the qualification, sustainment, and recovery of critical tools and modules; and own data analysis and trends for optimum equipment health. This role works closely with Process Engineering, Maintenance, and Quality teams to ensure stable execution of production commitments. This is an ideal position for a self‑directed, technically strong, and collaborative engineer who enjoys hands‑on equipment work, root‑cause problem solving, and operating in a structured cleanroom production environment. The work environment is a mix of office and cleanroom settings, within a collaborative, supportive, and engaging team culture.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Own and support assigned wafer fabrication tools and associated subsystems used in low-rate production
• Troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve equipment issues impacting safety, yield, schedule, or throughput
• Drive equipment reliability improvements through root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions
• Partner with Process Engineers to ensure tools meet process capability and control requirements
• Support hands‑on wafer processing and recovery activities for production lots as needed
• Collect, analyze, and trend equipment performance metrics (OEE, Uptime, MTBF, MTTR, repeat failures)
• Improve equipment diagnostics, automation, and recovery procedures to reduce unplanned downtime
• Document equipment procedures, configurations, and workflows in MES‑ready formats
• Ensure compliance with safety, cleanroom, and EHS requirements
• Collaborate with Process, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D teams to support stable low-rate production execution

Job Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 1–5 years of relevant experience supporting semiconductor, MEMS, or microfabrication equipment
• Familiarity with equipment metrics (MTBF, MTTR, OEE), SPC concepts, or structured escalation workflows
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
• Proficient computer skills, including JMP, Microsoft Word, Excel
• Strong troubleshooting, root‑cause analysis, and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to work hands‑on with semiconductor fabrication equipment, including vacuum systems, RF plasma systems, motion control, and wet processing tools
• Experience with one or more key wafer fabrication processes
• Experience using basic inspection and diagnostic tools (e.g., microscopes, electrical test equipment; SEM/FIB exposure a plus)
• Familiarity with cleanroom operations, safety practices, and controlled manufacturing environments
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Desired Background Exposure to infrared detectors, focal plane array, or imaging device fabrication
• Experience developing and executing preventive maintenance strategies
• Lean Six Sigma or other problem solving/decision making methods (8D, Kepner-Tregoe, or equivalent)

Salary Range:

Salary Range: $113,600.00-$151,400.000 The anticipated salary range listed for this role is only an estimate. Actual compensation for successful candidates is carefully determined based on several factors including, but not limited to, location, local regulations (such as minimum wage), education/training, work experience, key skills, and type of position.

Teledyne and all of our employees are committed to conducting business with the highest ethical standards. We require all employees to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, rules and regulatory orders. Our reputation for honesty, integrity and high ethics is as important to us as our reputation for making innovative sensing solutions.

Teledyne is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic or non-merit based factor made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws.

You may not realize it, but Teledyne enables many of the products and services you use every day. Teledyne provides enabling technologies to sense, transmit and analyze information for industrial growth markets, including aerospace and defense, factory automation, air and water quality environmental monitoring, electronics design and development, oceanographic research, energy, medical imaging and pharmaceutical research.