R&D Semiconductor Engineer

About the role

A semiconductor manufacturer's R&D organization needs an engineer to turn research concepts into manufacturable processes, the bridge between what is possible in the lab and what is practical in the fab. You will prototype new materials, structures, or process steps, generate the data that de-risks technology bets, and transfer the winners into production development with honest assessments of what still needs work. Your work decides what the next product generation is built on, and your kill decisions on dead-end concepts save the company as much as your successful transfers earn it.

What you will achieve

• Deliver lab-proven process concepts with demonstrated feasibility data, transferring at least 2 to production development per year with clear documentation of process windows and known risks.
• Drive lab-to-fab transfer so transferred processes reach target specs within 3 months of fab introduction, staying engaged until the receiving team can run independently.
• Build material and device characterization datasets that de-risk technology bets before major capital commitments, giving leadership the evidence to fund or kill with confidence.
• Reduce R&D cycle time by 20 percent through disciplined stage-gate reviews and kill criteria that stop weak concepts early instead of letting them consume resources.
• Generate IP with at least 2 patent filings per year protecting novel process approaches, building a moat around the technologies the company chooses to pursue.

What you will bring

Must-haves

• MS or PhD in materials science, electrical engineering, physics, or chemistry with a research track record.
• 4 to 7 years in semiconductor R&D, process development, or advanced technology research with lab-to-fab exposure.
• Hands-on experience with novel materials or emerging device structures, from concept through experimental demonstration.
• Track record of transferring research results into production environments, including the documentation and training handoff.
• Strong experimental design skills and comfort with ambiguous, open-ended problems where the right question matters more than the quick answer.
• Publications or patents demonstrating original technical contributions that peers recognize as substantive.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with pilot-line or 300mm R&D fab operations and their constraints.
• Familiarity with techno-economic modeling for process selection and investment justification.
• Collaborations with universities or national labs that expanded the available research toolkit.