Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Introduction to the job

ASML brings together the most creative minds in science and technology to develop lithography machines that are key to producing faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient microchips. We design, develop, integrate, market and service these advanced machines, which enable our customers - the world’s leading chipmakers - to reduce the size and increase the functionality of their microchips, which in turn leads to smaller, more powerful consumer electronics. Our main headquarters are located in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, and we also have 18 office locations around the United States- including main offices in Wilton, CT, Chandler, AZ, San Jose, CA and San Diego, CA..

We are proud of bringing together the brightest minds all over the world to tackle the most challenging problems in making faster and smaller chips. As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to go beyond yourself in developing more advanced techniques and push the technology boundaries.

ASML San Jose, CA is an industry leader in computational lithography for integrated circuits. Our Tachyon platform enables capabilities that address chip design, photomask making and wafer printing for semiconductor manufacturing and the LithoTuner platform enables lithography optimization for ASML’s leading photo lithography tools, known as ‘scanners’.

We are looking for a highly talented individual to join our software quality assurance team. In this position, you will be responsible for validating the correctness, robustness, and reliability of complex software algorithms used in semiconductor manufacturing. The ideal candidate will combine software testing skills with strong logical reasoning, data analysis, and scientific problem-solving. Candidates with backgrounds in physics, mathematics, computational science, electrical engineering, or research are encouraged to apply, even if they do not come from a traditional QA career path. You will work closely with software developers, application engineers, and domain experts to understand algorithm behavior, design meaningful test scenarios, analyze results, and identify subtle software or model behavior issues.

Role and responsibilities

The SQA role plays an important part in our company’s product development process. Our ideal candidate will be responsible for conducting tests before product launches to ensure software runs smoothly and meets client needs, while being cost-effective.

Ultimately, you should monitor all stages of software development to identify and resolve malfunctions to meet quality standards. 

Job Description:

• Review requirements, specifications, algorithm design documents, and technical design documents to provide timely and meaningful feedback. 
• Create detailed, comprehensive, and well-structured test plans and test cases for computational lithography software. 
• Design test cases that validate algorithm correctness, numerical behavior, edge conditions, and system-level behavior.
• Analyze software outputs to determine whether results are expected, explainable, and consistent with product requirements.
• Perform modular tests at code level before or after code merge
• Develop Python and/or C++ based tools to compare results, analyze trends, visualize differences, and improve test efficiency. 
• Design, develop, and execute automated tests for complex software workflows.
• Develop test tools that enable SQA to analyze results and execute tests efficiently.
• Identify, record, document thoroughly, and track software defects.
• Perform thorough regression testing when bugs are resolved, with emphasis on result correctness and unintended algorithm behavior changes.
• Work closely with developers, application engineers, and product teams to understand system requirements and expected software behavior.
• Investigate failures by analyzing input data, output data, logs, algorithm behavior, and implementation details.
• Contribute to testing methodology for complex computational software, including validation of boundary cases, numerical stability, and result consistency.
• Stay up to date with relevant testing methods, data analysis approaches, and software validation strategies.

Education and experience

Education:

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Computational Science, or a related engineering or scientific field
• Research experience, or strong analytical project experience is preferred

Skills

• Proficiency in software development with coding skills in C++, Python, or similar programming languages.
• Strong analytical and logical reasoning skills.
• Ability to understand complex systems, identify potential issues, and propose effective solutions.
• Ability to analyze data, compare software results, identify patterns, and explain anomalies.
• Deep understanding of software development principles, design, architecture, and engineering practices.
• Knowledge of test automation frameworks and tools.
• Experience with software testing techniques and methodologies.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work with developers and domain experts to understand complex algorithmic or scientific software behavior

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with research, modeling, simulation, numerical methods, optimization, computational imaging, lithography, EDA, or semiconductor software.
• Experience validating algorithmic software, scientific software, simulation software, or computational workflows.
• Experience using Python for data analysis, scripting, automation, result comparison, or visualization.
• Experience with C++ debugging, code review, or white-box testing.
• Experience designing tests for edge cases, boundary conditions, numerical precision, or result consistency.
• Prior QA or SQA experience is helpful, but not required if the candidate has strong analytical, coding, and problem-solving

Other information

• This position is located on-site in San Jose, California ( Change the location if needed). It requires onsite presence to attend in-person work-related events, trainings and meetings and to further ensure teamwork, collaboration and innovation. (Important to insert additional onsite language specific to the role: i.e., inspection, specific training and supervision, etc.)
• A flexible workplace arrangement is available for remote work up to two days a week. 

Role within Office

Responsibilities  

• Routinely required to sit; walk; talk; hear; use hands to keyboard, finger, handle, and feel; stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, reach, and stretch. Occasionally required to move around the campus.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• May require travel (specify domestic and/or international) dependent on business needs.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

#LI-AS1
#LI-Hybrid

The current base annual salary range for this role is currently:

Pay scales are determined by role, level, location and alignment with market data. Individual pay is determined through interviews and an assessment of several factors that that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and pay relative to other team members.

The Company offers employees and their families, medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are able to participate in the Company’s 401k plan. Employees will also receive eight (8) hours of vacation leave every month and (13) paid holidays throughout the calendar year. For more information, please contact the Recruiter or click on this link Compensation & Benefits in the US.

All new ASML jobs have a minimum application deadline of 10 days.

ASML is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that inclusion and diversity is a driving force in the success of our company.

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ASML provides reasonable accommodations to applicants for ASML employment and ASML employees with disabilities.  An accommodation is a change in work rules, facilities, or conditions which enable an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform the essential functions of a job, and/or enjoy equal access to the benefits and privileges of employment. If you are in need of an accommodation to complete an application, participate in an interview, or otherwise participate in the employee pre-selection process, please send an email to [email protected] to initiate the company’s reasonable accommodation process.

Please note: This email address is solely intended to provide a method for applicants to initiate ASML’s process to request accommodation(s). Any recruitment questions should be directed to the designated Talent Acquisition member for the position.