The Role
Develop and optimize wafer fabrication processes, lead device development, troubleshoot challenges, and improve manufacturing efficiency in MEMS and photonics technologies.
Summary Generated by Built In
Role Summary
Serves as the technical owner for customer programs from concept through scalable production. Leads Atomica's E/S/V execution framework, drives rapid prototyping, establishes validated Process-of-Record (POR) solutions, and serves as the primary customer-facing technical leader. Responsible for balancing technical risk, schedule, manufacturability, cost, and customer objectives.
Core Responsibilities
- Own technical strategy, integration architecture, and development roadmap.
- Translate customer requirements into executable development plans.
- Lead cross-functional teams across Integration Engineering, Process Engineering, Fab Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Modeling & Simulation, and Test Engineering.
- Drive process integration, yield improvement, and manufacturability.
- Present technical results, recommendations, and recovery plans to customers and management.
E/S/V Execution Expectations
- Define and lead E-Lot, S-Lot, and V-Lot strategy for assigned programs.
- Ensure E/S/V activities execute in parallel whenever possible to accelerate customer learning.
- Drive progression from process exploration to integration validation, prototype demonstration, and scalable production.
- Establish and maintain POR development plans, success criteria, and exit criteria.
Technical Leadership Expectations
- Serve as primary technical interface to customers.
- Own technical risk identification, mitigation, and retirement.
- Mentor Integration Engineers and provide technical guidance.
- Lead technical reviews, design-for-manufacturing assessments, and development planning.
- Demonstrated ability to independently define and execute development strategies that efficiently balance technical risk, schedule, cost, manufacturability, and customer objectives within a high-mix MEMS foundry environment.
Quantifiable Deliverables / KPIs
- Lead 5–10 active customer programs simultaneously.
- >90% technical milestone attainment.
- >95% customer technical action-item closure.
- Lead execution of 30+ E-Lots, S-Lots, and V-Lots annually.
- Transition 2–5 programs annually toward prototype, qualification, or production readiness.
- Establish validated PORs and measurable improvements in yield, cycle time, manufacturability, quality, or cost.
Required Qualifications
- BS/MS with 5+ years of experience in MEMS or semiconductor fabrication and process integration; OR
- PhD with 3+ years of hands-on device development experience including laboratory fabrication, process development, integration, characterization, and guiding fabrication activities.
- Strong knowledge of lithography, deposition, etch, CMP, bonding, packaging, metrology, and semiconductor manufacturing.
- Demonstrated customer-facing technical leadership.
- Experience leading complex development programs within a high-mix foundry environment.
- U.S. Person as defined by ITAR.
Preferred Qualifications
- MEMS, photonics, sensors, advanced packaging, CMOS, heterogeneous integration, or semiconductor process integration experience.
- Experience with COMSOL, Fusion 360, SimScale, Coventor, TCAD, or equivalent modeling and simulation platforms.
- Strong understanding of DOE, JMP, SPC, yield optimization, and statistical process control.
- Experience transitioning technologies from R&D through pilot production and scalable manufacturing.
- Prior Technical Lead, Principal Engineer, or Program Technical Owner experience.
Career Progression
- Senior Integration Engineer / Technical Lead → Principal Technical Lead → Director of Integration Engineering.
What Atomica Offers You:
- Amazing growth and learning opportunities in MEMS, sensors, biotechnology and photonics
- Competitive Health, Vision, Dental Insurance
- 401(k) and Roth 401(k) plan with company match
- Continuing education opportunities
- Paid Time Off
- Flexible Spending Account
- Catered in-office lunches
Why work with us?
Atomica is changing the world. Working at Atomica is truly a one-of-a-kind opportunity to impact groundbreaking technology while living in paradise. Your contributions to our MEMS technology will drive innovation, solve the great problems of our time and directly impact the lives of people across the globe.
Life in Santa Barbara:
Want to live in paradise? Life in Santa Barbara is just that. Atomica is sandwiched between the beautiful Santa Ynez mountains and the pristine Central California coastline. Within 5-minutes from the office, you will find rich local culture, world class schools, airport for convenient travel, festivals, and excellent options to wine and dine.
We have had employees move from all over the country and say life has never been better!
Compensation:
$90,000-$155,000
*Atomica encourages applications from candidates at all levels where pay will be based on experience.*
Skills Required
- PhD or MSc in EE, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field
- Hands-on wafer processing experience (Etch, Deposition, Wets, Bond & Grind, Lithography)
- Background in MEMS and CMOS development/manufacturing
- Programming skills in Python, Java, or C++
- Must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR
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The Company
What We Do
Atomica Corp. unleashes the power of Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) to help solve the great problems of our time. Utilizing a uniquely collaborative approach to development and manufacturing, it partners with innovative companies to deliver breakthrough MEMS-based solutions in cloud computing, autonomous vehicles, cell therapy, molecular diagnostics, genomics, 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more. Atomica is the largest MEMS foundry in the USA, serving customers from its 130,000 square foot manufacturing campus (with a 30,000 square foot class 100 clean room) in Santa Barbara, California. The company is ISO 9001 certified and ITAR registered. Its extensive experience spans the full spectrum of MEMS, including photonics, sensors, microfluidic biochips, and other micro components
