Principal Yield Engineer
Job Family Description
We are seeking a Principal Yield Engineer to provide technical leadership for fab-wide yield improvement, manufacturing process control, and new Fab ramp readiness in a rapidly growing InP photonic integrated circuit (PIC) wafer fab environment. This role serves as a recognized subject matter expert and thought leader, driving cross-functional alignment, establishing scalable yield-management systems, and defining long-term manufacturing quality and process-control strategies across the organization.
Yield Strategy & Technical Leadership
Establish factory-level frameworks for yield management, excursion response, process control, and quality governance. Lead technical reviews for major yield excursions, chronic manufacturing constraints, and technology-transfer readiness. Prioritize yield opportunities and lead cross-functional initiatives delivering measurable factory-level improvements in yield, scrap reduction, and manufacturing robustness.
Excursion Leadership & Manufacturing Execution
Lead resolution of critical yield excursions, wafer scrap events, and manufacturing quality incidents. Drive cross-functional investigations involving Integration, Process, Equipment, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Quality teams. Establish root cause, define corrective actions, and ensure sustainable closure through structured problem-solving methodologies.
Organizational Influence & Mentorship
Mentor Yield, Process, Integration, and Quality Engineers in SPC, DOE, root-cause analysis, and manufacturing problem-solving methodologies. Establish best practices and standard work to improve engineering execution across organizations. Serve as a recognized technical authority for yield, process-control, and manufacturing-quality decisions.
Quality Governance
Drive continuous improvement of manufacturing quality systems, including SPC governance, excursion management frameworks, control-plan execution, and factory-wide yield visibility.
· PhD preferred, or MS in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related engineering discipline.
· 10+ years of semiconductor or HDD high-volume manufacturing experience.
· Proven track record leading major yield-improvement programs resulting in measurable factory-level impact. Experience investigating yield excursions and driving structured problem-solving is strongly preferred.
· Demonstrated experience leading complex technical initiatives with multiple engineering organizations.
· Recognized technical expert in yield engineering, process control, manufacturing quality, or process integration.
· Demonstrated ability to influence senior engineering and operations leadership and drive technical decisions without direct organizational authority.
Preferred
· Experience supporting technology transfer, fab replication, or manufacturing scale-up activities.
· Demonstrated success building yield-management systems, SPC frameworks, or factory-wide process-control methodologies.
· Previous technical leadership of engineers across multiple functional groups.
· Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent manufacturing excellence experience.