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
KLA’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has a critical role in researching and developing leading-edge, forward-looking technology. The CTO Office collaborates with product divisions and strategic marketing to work on future technologies such as light sources, lasers and sensors. We also bring technical input into KLA’s strategic planning process, program reviews and product lifecycle (PLC) phases. Our broad technology expertise and cross-division experience harnesses the collective knowledge within our company to propel technology advancements.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.
Responsibilities:
This R&D role is part of a dynamic, innovative technology team developing high-performance light sources for next-generation wafer inspection and metrology systems. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing laser control electronics, sensor interfaces, mixed-signal circuits, power distribution systems and safety interlocks while collaborating with research scientists and optical, mechanical, and systems engineers to deliver reliable, high-performance laser products.
- Define electrical architecture, specifications, and interface requirements for laser subsystem.
- Design and develop laser electronics including:
- Laser controller
- Sensor signal conditioning circuits
- motion control
- Power regulation and power distribution
- Safety interlock system
- Design schematics, PCB layouts, cable assemblies, and system wiring diagrams.
- Develop closed-loop control systems for laser power and temperature regulation.
- Develop test plans and conduct verification, validation and system characterization.
- Troubleshoot electrical, firmware, and system integration issues throughout prototype development and product release.
- Ensure compliance with applicable electrical safety, EMC, and laser safety standards.
- Deliver robust laser electronic designs that meet performance, cost, schedule, and reliability targets.
Requirements:
- Proven track record in electronic circuit and hardware design including digital and analog circuit design, signal Integrity, power electronics, low noise mixed signal circuit design, PCB design, circuit debug and validation.
- Deep understanding of microcontrollers/microprocessors; Hands-on experience with one or more processor families is preferred: ARM Cortex-M (STM32, NXP, TI), ARM Cortex-A processors, Intel x86 processors, RISC-V processors and DSP processors (TI DSP, Analog Device SHARC).
- Proficient in schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as: OrCAD, Altium Designer and PADS etc.
- Experience in FPGA design including simulation, timing analysis and verification is a plus.
- Familiar with communication interfaces such as Ethernet, USB, SPI, LVDS, RS-232/RS-485 etc.
- Experience with laser cavity control is a plus.
- Hands on experience with lab equipment like logic analyzer, oscilloscope etc.
- Self-motivated and adaptable, with the ability to work effectively with changing project priorities.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's level degree in electrical engineering or related with at least 8 years of experience or
- Doctorate (Academic) in electrical engineering or related with at least 5 years of experience.
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.
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.
We offer a competitive, family friendly total rewards package. We design our programs to reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment, while ensuring we provide benefits that meet the diverse needs of our employees.
KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Skills Required
- Master's degree in electrical engineering or a related field with at least 8 years of experience
- Doctorate in electrical engineering or a related field with at least 5 years of experience
- Proven electronic circuit and hardware design experience, including digital and analog circuits, signal integrity, power electronics, low-noise mixed-signal design, PCB design, debugging, and validation
- Deep understanding of microcontrollers and microprocessors
- Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as OrCAD, Altium Designer, or PADS
- Familiarity with Ethernet, USB, SPI, LVDS, RS-232, or RS-485 communication interfaces
- Hands-on experience with laboratory equipment such as logic analyzers and oscilloscopes
- Experience with ARM Cortex-M, ARM Cortex-A, Intel x86, RISC-V, or DSP processor families
- FPGA design experience, including simulation, timing analysis, and verification
- Experience with laser cavity control
- Ability to work effectively amid changing project priorities
KLA Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about KLA and has not been reviewed or approved by KLA.
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Retirement Support — U.S. programs include a formulaic 401(k) employer match with clearly described plan designs in company materials. Consistent plan structure and employer matching signal strong support for long‑term savings.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — A broad base of employees is eligible for RSUs and can participate in an ESPP, extending ownership beyond executives. Company materials position equity as a core component of total compensation.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — A quarterly profit‑sharing program and performance bonuses are outlined in filings, providing regular variable pay opportunities. These incentives complement base pay and equity to lift overall earnings in strong periods.
KLA Insights
What We Do
KLA develops industry-leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process-enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers design solutions that move the world forward.
