Associate / Technical Lead, Software Development

Job Title

Associate / Technical Lead, Software Development

Role Summary

Senior software engineer responsible for design, implementation, and technical leadership for Surfscan software within KLA's Global Products Group. The role focuses on delivering robust, scalable software components for wafer and defect inspection products and may involve leading small teams for feature delivery.

Work involves systems-level design, driving architecture improvements, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet product requirements.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Employer guidance: Bachelor's degree plus ~3 years' experience, Master's degree plus ~2 years, or Doctorate with 0 years' post-degree experience (equivalent professional experience accepted).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include software design, implementation, technical leadership, and process improvement for the Surfscan platform.

• Design, implement, and unit-test robust, scalable, maintainable software components.
• Drive software architecture and technical design improvements across the platform.
• Lead small engineering teams for feature development when required and mentor peers.
• Participate in requirements definition and design reviews; provide technical impact assessments for changes.
• Analyze complex problems, evaluate multiple factors, and propose practical solutions.
• Identify, review, and mitigate technical risks in collaboration with technical management.
• Contribute technical inputs to estimation and project planning.
• Follow and help improve established software development processes and methodologies.
• Build and maintain domain knowledge related to Surfscan software and bare wafer inspection use cases.
• Stay current with new technologies and development methodologies relevant to the product.

Requirements

Must-have and preferred capabilities for candidates.

• Must-have: Proven track record designing and delivering complex software systems and components.
• Must-have: Strong software architecture, system design, and hands-on implementation skills.
• Must-have: Experience writing and maintaining unit tests and producing production-quality, scalable code.
• Must-have: Demonstrated technical leadership, including leading small teams or mentoring engineers.
• Must-have: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; experience assessing technical impact of changes.
• Must-have: Experience participating in requirements definition, design reviews, and contributing to estimates and project plans.
• Must-have: Familiarity with software development processes and a focus on continuous improvement.
• Must-have: Effective verbal and written communication and ability to collaborate across functions.
• Nice-to-have: Domain experience in semiconductor equipment software, wafer inspection, or Surfscan products.

Education Requirements

Employer specifies degree or equivalent experience: Doctorate (PhD) OR Master's OR Bachelor's, with equivalence guidance: PhD with 0 years' experience, Master's with ~2 years, Bachelor's with ~3 years. Fields of study are not specified; equivalent practical experience is accepted.

About the Company

Company: KLA

Headquarters: Chennai, India

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The company enables the production of electronic devices by inventing systems and solutions for manufacturing integrated circuits, wafers, and displays. With over 40 years of experience, KLA invests heavily in innovation and R&D to support advanced chip design and manufacturing process optimization, collaborating with top technology providers to deliver future electronic devices.