Product Development Engineer

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The Surfscan group includes a team of engineers, technology development, apps engineers and product marketing focused on technology that enables wafer, IC and equipment manufacturers to develop, qualify and monitor their process tools. Defects and process non-uniformities detected on Surfscan equipment allow for early identification of yield excursions. The flagship Surfscan products include the SPx platforms for wafer surface quality and wafer defect inspection tools and systems for inspection of polished wafers, epi wafers and engineered substrates during the wafer fabrication process.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development / PLC Execution

• Support new product introduction and sustaining within the KLA Product Lifecycle (PLC) framework, ensuring deliverables across development phases are completed and aligned to schedule and performance targets.

• Contribute to system definition, integration, and validation from early development through release and field deployment.

• Drive PLC deliverables including system architecture inputs, test plans, acceptance criteria, and documentation.

Engineering Change Management (ECO / FCO)

• Own and execute Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) / Field Change Orders (FCOs) for product improvements, reliability fixes, and customer requirements.

• Work cross-functionally to scope, implement, validate, and release changes across hardware, software, and system interactions.

• Ensure changes are properly validated through structured test and qualification plans prior to release.

Systems Engineering / Test & Validation

• Develop and execute system-level test plans, including validation, characterization, and reliability testing.

• Perform system integration and troubleshoot complex issues spanning:

  • Optics / sensing systems

  • Precision motion and vibration

  • Electronics and control systems (including PLC-based control)

• Define test strategies, instrumentation approach, and data analysis methods for subsystem and full tool validation.

Root Cause Analysis & Problem Solving

• Lead root cause investigations for performance, reliability, and field issues using structured problem-solving methodologies.

• Analyze system behavior across subsystems to identify contributing factors and interactions.

• Drive corrective actions and validate fixes through engineering and field testing.

Field Escalation Support

• Provide hands-on support for customer escalations including L4 issues, collaborating with global service teams.

• Travel to customer sites internationally to diagnose and resolve critical issues (“fly-and-fix” support).

• Interface directly with customers during escalations to communicate technical status and solutions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with design, manufacturing, applications, and service teams to resolve issues and improve product performance.

• Support training and knowledge transfer for field and manufacturing teams on new features and fixes.

• Provide technical documentation and feedback into future product improvements.

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel internationally up to ~30–50% to support escalations and customer engagements.

• Strong communication skills and ability to work in cross-functional, global teams.

• Ability to work hands-on in lab and field environments and independently drive problem resolution.

Minimum Qualifications

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

Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees.  KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings.  KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers.  If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.