Director System Application Engineering (m/f/d)

The Director of Application Engineering will lead joint teams across AAI and AEG to support U.S. customers in the PAC and HPC market segments. 

This role will provide leadership and technical oversight for Power/Analog and HPC V93K platforms, as well as CREA systems—Advantest’s subsidiary focused on SiC/GaN tester solutions.

The ideal candidate is a proactive, hands-on leader with strong organizational skills and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced engineering environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• leading and developing engineering teams,
• managing project development and deployment,
• driving structured skills development plans, and collaborating closely with R&D and Sales to ensure successful customer support and business outcomes.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS and Responsibilities:

• Lead and empower the System Application Engineering Teams to meet Business goals, objectives and functions as defined.
• Identify and define emerging test requirements for target applications based on industry and market trends. Drive the analysis of market and customer's technical requirements to propose, plan and guide software and/or system solutions for semiconductor testing and other related areas like factory integration and automation.
• Act as engaged contributor of customer account, cross-functional or core business teams. Drive and support the roll-out of solutions, emerging applications, DI solutions and products to regional and world-wide customer teams.
• Manage to take and analyse customer problems in order to deliver solutions as quick as possible, involve Senior Director System Application Engineering, FS, COE and other departments in Advantest.
• Enable efficient transition of test program development and application solutions into high volume manufacturing of semiconductor products along the semiconductor value chain at customer.
• Develop strategies together with Senior Director System Application Engineering, Marketing and Sales to increase business, drive and achieve further the BIZ goals in AAI and AEG.
• Develop strategies to further improve Total Customer Satisfaction in close cooperation with Senior Director System Application Engineering.
• Monitor and supervise internal structures and environment of application engineering departments (staff, functions, and processes) to align with other departments and with overall business goals. If necessary, propose and/or implement changes for organizational development. Adopt and develop processes to ensure efficient operation of the department within the company structure to reach corporate goals.
• Explain, interpret, and provide detailed information, guidance, advice and answers to Application Engineering and HW technology teams, to senior managers and sales account teams.
• Motivate and drive the Team Leaders and members to share knowledges on device testing, HW and SW solutions and capabilities within the whole AEG and WW SAE organization. Goal is to skill up Engineers across different account teams, project teams and sections and with this to reach strategic goals in providing best in class test solutions to our customers.
• Set up SAE infrastructure for project-oriented, efficient operation and high- quality test program and application solutions. Coordinate and supervise SAE projects to meet both technical and economical requirements.
• Responsible for SAE Headcount and budget planning.
• Provide leadership, guidance, coaching, feedback and advisory to the team members to reach business objectives.
• Do a backup and succession planning to maintain operational effectiveness.
• Drive team managers to plan trainings and personnel development measures for team members and managers in cooperation with Senior Director System Application Engineering and HC. Do a people development and career planning to enhance staff motivation according to Advantest INTEGRITY Core Value.
• Determine and update reports and reporting structure (e.g. monthly reports, project reports). Generate and timely submit required reports. Provide reports on request.
• Keep control over System Application cost centers. Improve profitability and plan/control department budget.

 OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Keep abreast with trends relevant to this position. Adapt and implement necessary steps in consensus with management.
• Special projects, as assigned.
• Obtain information about competition and the difference between Advantest and competitive systems in hardware and software. Share information with Senior Director System Application Engineering, Sales accounts and SAE management.
• Establish good relationship with customer and strive to become an accepted consultant on any testing methods, application solutions and tools.
• Maintain a good relationship with other Advantest Functional and Business Units.
• Contribute as a member of the Advantest team to the overall goals of our company.
• Cooperate with all Advantest corporations to support the development and implementation of global solutions where applicable.
• Observe working environment and provide suggestions for improvements.
• Act in a cost-minded manner.

Education:

• Engineering degree (Dipl.-lng. FH/TU), Master, or Bachelor.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years international team management experience in ATE Application support with proven track record.

Specific Knowledge:

• Solid English (written and spoken)
• Good experience in Team, People and Project management
• Application and system expertise with ATE applications and test systems (competitors, customers; ideally on Advantest systems)

Personal Qualifications:

• strong leadership skills with Advantest core values
• team oriented workstyle
• flexible and able to perform under stress
• communicative and creative
• structured, organized
• willingness to travel (also overseas)
• reliable and accurate
• ability to guide, lead, organize, listen to and teach teams