About the Role
Owns the manufacturing relationship between our organization and our precision machining supplier base. This role sits at the intersection of mechanical engineering, quality, and supply chain — and is critical to ensuring our machined components (chambers, housings, brackets, shafts, plates, and assemblies) are delivered on time, to print, and at cost. The ideal candidate has spent meaningful time on machine shop floors, understands what drives variation in CNC machining operations, and can translate that knowledge into supplier accountability and
continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Supplier Relationship & Factory Engagement
• Serve as the primary point of contact and escalation for an assigned portfolio of precision machining suppliers (CNC turning, milling, grinding, EDM, lapping, and related processes)
• Conduct regular on-site factory visits to assess shop floor operations, capacity utilization, tooling strategies, fixturing, and quality systems
• Build and maintain trusted working relationships with supplier ownership, operations managers, and lead machinists to enable proactive issue identification and resolution
• Lead Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews covering OTD, DPPM, capacity, and continuous improvement commitments
Manufacturing Execution & Escalation Management
• Drive rapid resolution of non-conformances, dimensional escapes, surface finish rejections, and material certification discrepancies using structured problem-solving (8D, RCCA, CAPA)
• Manage containment actions and disposition of nonconforming parts in coordination with Supplier Quality and incoming inspection teams
• Coordinate supplier response to engineering change orders (ECOs), drawing revisions, tolerance updates, and first article inspection (FAI) requirements
• Monitor and hold suppliers accountable to key performance metrics: on-time delivery, dimensional yield, surface finish acceptance rate, and cost of poor quality (COPQ)
Cross-Functional Leadership
• Partner with Mechanical Engineering to provide Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback, flagging features that drive scrap, cycle time, or supplier risk (tight tolerances, deep bores, thin walls, exotic materials)
• Collaborate with Commodity Management and Procurement on RFQ strategy, should cost modeling, and make-vs.-buy assessments for machined components
• Represent the supplier perspective in NPI design reviews, ensuring machinability is considered early in the product development cycle
• Interface with Supply Chain and Planning teams to align supplier capacity to demand signals and manage lead time risk
Quality & Process Oversight
• Support First Article Inspection (FAI) and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities for new programs and significant design changes
• Review and approve supplier control plans, inspection plans, and process capability studies (Cpk/Ppk) for critical-to-function features
• Drive GD&T literacy and proper metrology practices at supplier sites; validate that suppliers are measuring what matters with calibrated, appropriate tooling (CMM, surface profilometers, bore gauges, etc.)
• Champion use of SPC and in-process inspection at machining suppliers to shift quality left, reducing reliance on final inspection
Technology & Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to reduce unit cost, improve lead time, or increase process robustness through tooling improvements, fixturing investments, process parameter optimization, or supplier consolidation
• Facilitate value engineering workshops with suppliers and internal engineering to target cost reduction without compromising form, fit, or function
• Stay current on machining technology trends — advanced cutting tool materials, high speed machining, 5-axis capabilities, automation/lights-out machining — and identify opportunities to leverage them across the supply base
Program & Risk Management
• Maintain supplier risk assessments covering single-source exposure, capacity constraints, equipment age, workforce stability, and financial health
• Develop and execute supplier development plans for underperforming machining partners, including on-site improvement sprints and milestone-based recovery tracking
• Lead sourcing qualification for new machining suppliers, including capability audits, process trials, and FAI sign-off
Required Qualifications
• 10+ years of experience in precision machining, mechanical manufacturing, or supplier/factory engineering, with at least 3–5 years in a direct factory liaison, supplier quality, or commodity management role focused on machined components
• Deep hands-on knowledge of CNC machining processes — turning, milling, grinding, honing, EDM — and the variables that drive dimensional variation, surface finish issues, and scrap
• Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, including GD&T per ASME Y14.5, and communicate drawing requirements clearly to supplier engineering and shop floor personnel
• Familiarity with common metrology tools and methods: CMM programming/interpretation, surface roughness measurement, bore gauges, optical comparators
• Experience managing suppliers of tight-tolerance, high-mix/low-volume machined components — preferably in semiconductor equipment, aerospace, defense, or medical device industries
• Strong track record driving escalation resolution and supplier accountability without direct organizational authority
• Comfortable operating at both the executive level (QBR presentations, risk reviews) and the shop floor level (walking a cell, reviewing toolpaths, discussing fixturing with a machinist)
• Willingness and ability to travel to supplier sites 30–50% Preferred Qualifications
• Background in semiconductor capital equipment manufacturing (etch, CVD, PVD, lithography, CMP, or similar) and familiarity with the demanding cleanliness, surface finish, and material purity requirements of that industry
• Experience with machining of challenging materials: aluminum alloys, stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, ceramics (Al₂O₃, SiC), or PTFE/PEEK plastics
• Familiarity with anodizing, electropolishing, passivation, and other surface treatment processes common in semiconductor equipment components
• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification, or equivalent structured problem-solving background
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems and supplier portal tools for tracking open orders, NCRs, and corrective actions
• Knowledge of industry quality standards: ISO 9001, AS9100 (aerospace), or SEMI standards
What Success Looks Like
Within 90 days, you will have completed shop floor assessments of your assigned supplier
portfolio, identified the top 3–5 quality and delivery risk areas, and established cadence reviews
with each key supplier. Within 6–12 months, you will have driven measurable improvement in
OTD and incoming acceptance rate across your portfolio and will have led at least one supplier
through a structured development or recovery program.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in precision machining, mechanical manufacturing, or supplier/factory engineering
- 3–5 years in a direct factory liaison, supplier quality, or commodity management role focused on machined components
- Deep hands-on knowledge of CNC turning, milling, grinding, honing, and EDM processes
- Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings and GD&T under ASME Y14.5
- Familiarity with CMMs, surface roughness measurement, bore gauges, and optical comparators
- Experience managing tight-tolerance, high-mix/low-volume machined component suppliers
- Strong track record driving escalation resolution and supplier accountability without direct authority
- Ability to operate at executive and shop-floor levels
- Willingness and ability to travel to supplier sites 30–50%
- Background in semiconductor capital equipment manufacturing
- Experience machining aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, Inconel, ceramics, or PTFE/PEEK plastics
- Familiarity with anodizing, electropolishing, passivation, and related surface treatments
- Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, or equivalent structured problem-solving experience
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and supplier portal tools
- Knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, or SEMI standards
Ichor Systems, Inc. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ichor Systems, Inc. and has not been reviewed or approved by Ichor Systems, Inc..
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Affordable Benefits — A premium‑free medical plan fully covered by the employer is available for eligible U.S. employees, with indications of premium‑free family coverage in some contexts. Coverage breadth includes medical, dental, vision, and tax‑advantaged HSA/FSA options.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) match of 50% on the first 8% with immediate vesting supports long‑term savings. Life and disability insurance further reinforce financial protection.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An Employee Stock Purchase Plan at a 15% discount enables broad participation in ownership. Plan availability is described as global, subject to standard plan terms.
Ichor Systems, Inc. Insights
What We Do
We are a leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of critical fluid delivery subsystems and components for semiconductor capital equipment. Our product offerings include gas and chemical delivery systems and subsystems, collectively known as fluid delivery systems and subsystems, which are key elements of the process tools used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices. Our gas delivery subsystems deliver, monitor, and control precise quantities of the specialized gases used in semiconductor manufacturing processes such as etch and deposition. Our chemical delivery systems and subsystems precisely blend and dispense the reactive liquid chemistries used in semiconductor manufacturing processes such as chemical-mechanical planarization, electroplating, and cleaning. We also provide precision-machined components, weldments, e‑beam and laser-welded components, precision vacuum and hydrogen brazing and surface treatment technologies, and other proprietary products. This vertically integrated portion of our business is primarily focused on metal and plastic parts that are used in gas and chemical systems, respectively. We are strategically located to provide the highest level of customer service and support from our program management, sales, engineering, and executive management teams. Ichor is headquartered in Fremont, California, and we have production facilities in California, Oregon, Texas, Nevada, Minnesota, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Mexico, and the UK, staffed by our 2000+ team members.
