Customer Engagement Applications Engineer – Texas/USA

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

The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards to enable technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics.

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.

Position Overview

We are looking for an Applications Engagement Engineer to join our global CAPRES team, supporting customers with primary focus on Texas and the United States..

In this role, you will support application development and customer engagements for advanced electrical and magnetic metrology solutions. Working closely with regional engagement leads, customers, and internal teams, you will ensure that CAPRES solutions deliver measurable value in both R&D and high-volume manufacturing environments.

Job Description

• Develop and implement applications for CAPRES metrology systems, with focus on sheet resistance measurements, as well as CIPT, MOKE and FMR.
• Define and execute characterization plans and analyze electrical and magnetic measurement data to support customer evaluations and application deployment
• Develop application methodologies, test strategies, and best known methods (BKMs), and document results in evaluation reports and application notes
• Support customer engagements with key focus on the United States, including on-site tool evaluations, application ramp, and process integration
• Provide hands-on support at customer sites, including recipe setup, optimization, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis of application issues
• Implement and qualify new use cases at customer sites, ensuring successful adoption in both R&D and high-volume manufacturing
• Capture customer requirements, application challenges, and future technology needs, and translate them into actionable recommendations for CAPRES headquarter for tool and software improvements
• Contribute to application and evaluation projects in collaboration with regional teams and CAPRES headquarter, and support knowledge transfer and technical guidance within the team

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven semiconductor process engineering experience in Ion Implantation, Metallization, Diffusion/CVD, or Etch
• Expertise in process characterization utilizing sheet resistance metrology and manufacturing data analytics.
• Demonstrated success in process optimization, yield enhancement, and cross-functional problem solving.
• Strong experience in customer-facing roles, including on-site engagement and technical discussions
• Ability to independently solve complex technical problems and application solutions
• Contribution to customer evaluations and product releases within project teams
• Strong expertise across multiple application domains
• Cross-functional collaboration with engineering, marketing, and field teams

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field with 0+ years of relevant experience; or

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant experience; or

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field with 5+ years of relevant experience

• Strong understanding of semiconductor applications, device characterization, or process engineering

• Solid knowledge of engineering principles related to electrical and magnetic measurements and data analysis

• Ability to independently analyze complex problems and develop effective technical solutions

• Experience with data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, JMP, or similar)

• Strong communication and presentation skills in English

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.

Total Rewards

Base Pay Range: $102,000.00 - $173,400.00 Annually
Primary Location: USA-TX-Taylor-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.

Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

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.

Equal Opportunity Statement

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.

For additional information, view the US Know Your Rights poster on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.