Customer Engagement Applications Engineer

To make electronics, you need chips, wafers, transistors, reticles, and... To make these, you must see, test and manufacture them at scale—faster and better than ever before. That's where KLA comes in. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, you'll solve complex challenges, work alongside brilliant minds and help shape the future of technology.

Group/Division

The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics. The Customer Engagement (CE) division is a field-based group of technical experts who partner closely with customers to provide a comprehensive portfolio of KLA products that support yield improvement from R&D through high-volume production. The team helps align KLA’s solutions with customer needs, supports product performance, identifies new opportunities and gathers insights to guide future innovation—all while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise.

As a Field Applications Engineer at KLA, you will serve as the trusted technical leader and primary interface between KLA and our customers, driving successful deployment, adoption, and competitive differentiation of KLA’s overlay metrology solutions. This role requires a self‑motivated engineer with strong technical depth, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead complex customer engagements independently.

• Serve as the primary technical interface between KLA and customer
• Deliver applications support for KLA’s overlay metrology tools at customer fabrication facilities.
• Lead customer engagements including product evaluations, new tool introductions, and drive competition.
• Drive customer success by conducting acceptance tests, recipe development, hands-on training, and pre-sales technical enablement.
• Cultivate strong customer relationships by understanding their technical needs, aligning solutions, and ensuring satisfaction through onsite support.
• Collaborate with customers and internal teams to co-author technical papers and present at global industry symposiums.
• Develop and share Best Known Methods (BKMs), SOP ( Standard Operating Procedures ) materials, and technical documentation to empower global Field Applications teams.
• Act as a cross-functional bridge, aligning customer feedback with engineering, sales, and marketing to drive continuous improvement.
• Analyze complex technical issues, apply statistical methods, and deliver innovative, data-driven solutions.
• Report regional insights and escalate field issues to product divisions, ensuring timely resolution and product evolution

Desired Attributes

• Highly self‑motivated, accountable, and comfortable operating independently in a customer‑facing environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated technical leadership, including the ability to lead customer engagements, mentor peers, and influence cross‑functional teams.
• Proven problem‑solving skills and comfort working in fast‑paced semiconductor manufacturing environments.

Preferred Qualifications

PhD in a STEM field

Experience coding in a technical language (Python, Matlab, etc.)

Experience in semiconductor fabrication

Minimum Qualifications

Master's Level Degree and 0 years related work experience; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 2 years

About KLA

We provide advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, process solutions, and computational analytics that make electronics possible, tackling complex challenges. From electron and photon optics to machine learning and data analytics, we seek perfection at the most fundamental level of matter in the universe. If you want to make electronics that push industries forward and make the world a better place, join us.

Total Rewards

Base Pay Range: $102,000.00 - $149,600.00 Annually Primary Location: USA-OR-Hillsboro-Beaverton-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.
Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Use of AI Statement 

At KLA, our interviews seek to understand your individual skills, problem-solving approach and authentic thinking. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation, the use of AI, recording tools or other technologies to generate, suggest or provide responses during interviews—whether virtual or in person—is not permitted unless explicitly approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation or invited by the interviewer. Use of these tools may interfere with our ability to evaluate your individual qualifications and affect your candidacy. KLA is committed to advancing innovation through responsible AI, and we value candidates who share this mindset.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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 [email protected] or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.

For additional information, view the US Know Your Rights poster on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.