Technical Lead jobs in United States, California, Milpitas

What You’ll Do:

• Champion programs from concept to high-volume manufacturing and beyond.
• Build and execute strategic project plans that align scope, timelines, and resources.
• Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, service, and marketing to drive smart decisions and impactful trade-offs.
• Own every aspect of your program—engineering, service, install, and manufacturing.
• Provide expert guidance in operational processes and technical leadership to ensure top-tier outcomes.
• Cultivate strong customer relationships and deliver solutions that exceed expectations.
• Anticipate risks and implement proactive strategies to keep projects on track.
• Lead field engagement during beta phases, aligning closely with business units and customers.
• Translate divisional goals into actionable product roadmaps.

What You Bring:

• PhD with 3+ years, Master’s with 6+ years, or Bachelor’s with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Proven success in developing complex systems integrating optics, electronics, motion, algorithms, and software.
• Strong leadership in matrixed environments and a collaborative mindset.
• Excellent communication skills—both written and verbal.
• Willingness to travel globally up to 15%.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 5 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 12 years

or at +1-408-352-2808

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Primary Tasks and Qualifications

• Revenue & Forecas t: Responsible and accountable for regional forecasting of different revenue types for all accounts within the region and potentially for strategic accounts worldwide. Support the forecasting operating model and participation in the yearly 5-year forecast outlook created during the strategic planning period.

• Customer Engagement: Highly proficient at managing all customer engagements as well as proactively anticipating customer needs and requests. This includes preparing for customer meetings with regular checkpoints to drive alignment with the appropriate stakeholders. Has foresight to develop long term strategies in alignment with the KLA enterprise. Cultivates meaningful relationships at key accounts beyond normal interface relationships including Director and Executive levels. Engages with a sense of urgency to address customer experience escalations and can lead recovery of service delivery to agreed levels with “get well / stay well” plans

• Service Contract Renewal Closure: Lead contract renewal negotiations with little to no management support. Capable of negotiating deals at customer VP levels. Capable of performing detailed data analysis to identify key performance indicators, culminating in the development of a focused, actionable single sales objective. Utilize Miller-Heiman or equivalent sales processes. Follow the KLA Services renewal deliverables, best known methods and adopt the renewal operating model to lead the deal reviews with the appropriate approvers

• Product and Services Alignment : Drive alignment with the business unit and regional division business development leads to optimize the tool, service price, and total cost of ownership and ensure KLAS is positioned appropriately with the customer to gain adoption. Ensure that regional team members also adopt the product and service alignment strategy. Host KLA “service pitches” with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the value of service contract is communicated. Support the operating model to prioritize the “service pitches” and the drive support from product marketing for the appropriate collateral

• Financial Metrics & BSC Initiatives : Accountable for financial KPIs (ASP, Market Share, Gross Margin and contract penetration) in the region. Report the KPIs in the BD monthly business review. Understand the KPI drivers (positive or negative). Develop plans to improve the KPIs in alignment with the business goals and consistent with annual BSC growth targets. As a result of strategic planning initiatives, this individual can take a concept or idea from strategic planning environmental issues and creating a strategic initiative around it. This includes developing a plan or record, aligned across multiple functions. The individual may be required to justify investment and ROI. The initiative may then need to be budgeted, and a scoring mechanism defined to track progress to plan including reporting of BSC progress and justifies scoring to HQ Exec team

• Strategic Planning: Independently drives strategic planning activity, phases 1/2/3. Develop HQ PPT material. Present strategic plan to executives beyond KLAS

• Accountability to KLA Enterprise & Operating Model : Ability to manage KLAS business through the adoption of the existing operating models like the contract renewal process. This individual must have the ability to define new operating models with their regional BD counterparts in other regions and then drive adoption of those operating models in the organization.

• Business Acumen : Demonstrates strong business acumen; ability to assess short term and long-term impact, anticipating future challenges and avoiding unintended consequences.

• Cross Collaboration : Ability to motivate and drive action across teams, BUs, or Divisions. Should have influence and respect of divisional management throughout the KLA Enterprise.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree with 15 years of experience in Semiconductor capital equipment systems or service sales. Knowledge of KLA inspection and metrology equipment or broader market OEM knowledge such as process tools used in the manufacturing of semiconductors.

• Experience managing large commercial engagements with a strong track record of closing. Ability to manage a team of individuals both domestic and internationally.

• Expert at building effective working relationships with key customers at VP levels and above.

• Adept at leveraging existing internal processes and the ability to develop / create new processes is a must in order to enable scale in the organization.

• Ability to speak a 2nd language, specifically Japanese, would be considered an additional bonus.

Minimum Qualifications

Master's Level Degree with a minimum of 13 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor Level Degree with a mimumum of 15 years of relevant experience.

or at +1-408-352-2808

Your Role: Lead, Innovate, Grow

• We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Lead Embedded Software Engineer to join our dynamic team within the RAPID division. In this role, you will be instrumental in designing, developing, and sustaining the complex embedded software that powers our industry-leading reticle inspection systems. You will provide technical leadership, mentor team members, and contribute significantly to the architecture and implementation of real-time control systems, sensor image capture pipelines, and hardware interfaces.

• We are looking for exceptional technical leaders who possess the aptitude and ambition to grow into an engineering & project management role within KLA over the next few years. You will have opportunities to develop leadership skills, influence team direction, and contribute to project planning and execution, preparing you to take on project management responsibilities.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the Charge : Spearhead the design, development, and deployment of complex software/firmware for machine control in semiconductor inspection systems. Project involves demanding real-time embedded applications developed using C/C++ for electro-mechanical control system running on a real-time operating system (RTOS) such as real-time Linux, VxWorks for a high-reliability application.
• Architect the Future: Design and implement robust, scalable software for system control, high-speed data acquisition, image processing, and intricate hardware interaction. Understand system level requirements and translate them into software design and implementation.
• Collaborate Across Boundaries : Work shoulder-to-shoulder with brilliant minds in multidisciplinary areas like mechanical, systems engineering, electrical, optics, opto-mech, algorithms, and applications to build truly integrated solutions.
• Mentor and Inspire : Guide junior engineers, share your expertise, and cultivate a team environment focused on technical excellence and growth.
• Drive Best Practices : Champion modern software development methodologies (Agile, CI/CD, automated testing) to ensure quality and efficiency. Define and execute test plans to measure the performance of key subsystems. Document, analyze and present the testing results.
• Solve Tough Problems : Dive deep to troubleshoot complex system-level issues and optimize performance-critical software.
• Shape the Strategy : Contribute to project planning, risk management, and technical roadmap discussions. Participate in all stages of development, including design, implementation, deployment, testing and troubleshooting.

Required Skills & Qualification:

• MS in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science/Control Systems or similar fields.
• 8+ years of working experience in an industrial environment in the field of embedded software development.
• Strong knowledge of C/C++ programming, Object-Oriented Design & Programming (OOD & OOP).
• Strong knowledge of Linux/RTOS OS environment, multi- threading, synchronization and SW architecture design.
• Knowledge of communication protocols like Serial-RS232, Ethernet/EtherCAT/ TCP-IP socket/network communication and related programming.
• The candidate should have strong analytical capabilities, strong written and verbal communication, and interpersonal skills to communicate and present their software design for reviews. Must demonstrate perseverance and ability to work collaboratively within a team setting.
• Excellent communication skills. Self-motivated to excel in responsible tasks. Possess high curiosity, be a fast learner, and have the strive to turn prototype ideas into quality production code used in mission critical applications.
• Strong software debugging and troubleshooting skills are required.

Preferred (nice to have) Skills:

• Hands on experience and laboratory exposure to electrical, mechanical and optical measurement instruments
• Experience in semiconductor faboperations/manufacturingtechnology.
• Linux administration knowledge and UML knowledge.
• Knowledge of Python or other scripting language
• Knowledge of motion control system with Stepper/Servo/Piezo motors, servo control loop (e.g., PID), classical or modern control theory.
• Systems thinking based on first principle and physics.
• Project planning and management skills.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 6 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years

or at +1-408-352-2808

Key responsibilities include:

• Project Planning & Execution
  Develop comprehensive project plans that define scope, timelines, budgets, and resource needs. Ensure alignment with divisional goals and strategic priorities.

• Risk Identification & Mitigation
  Proactively identify potential risks and issues throughout the project lifecycle. Implement effective mitigation strategies to minimize disruptions and safeguard deliverables.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  Partner with engineering, manufacturing, service, marketing, and other key stakeholders to ensure seamless project execution. Facilitate transparent communication across teams and provide regular updates to senior leadership on progress, risks, and mitigation efforts.

• Technical Leadership
  Act as a subject matter expert in semiconductor manufacturing processes and/or metrology. Offer technical guidance and support to project teams to ensure high-quality outcomes.

• Customer Engagement
  Build and nurture strong relationships with customers. Understand their needs and expectations to ensure project outcomes consistently meet or exceed requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 6 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years

or at +1-408-352-2808

Qualifications

• Design, build, prototype testing the next generation broad band plasma (BBP) Wafer inspection opto-mechanical assemblies.

• Work with system, optical, electrical and software engineer to derive the subsystem requirements and conduct design reviews. Lead group of engineers for technical development, vendor management, schedule & product cost management.

• CAD Modeling: Cero experience preferred

• Track record of full life cycle high precision (sub-micron level) mechanism development experience. High accuracy alignment & adjustment design, design for repeatability & stability, tolerance analysis, design for reliability, design for vibration

• Thermal management design: electronics thermal management, cooling flow simulation & optimization.

• CAE: thermal & structural simulation (ANSYS experience preferred)

• Qualify and release the mechanism design, provide support for onsite manufacturing.

• Collaborate with manufacturing team during product ramp-up to support and trouble-shoot product issues.

• Full-time onsite is required.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 5 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 12 years

or at +1-408-352-2808