Customer Engagement Applications Engineer
KLAJob Title
Customer Engagement Applications Engineer
Role Summary
Provide technical expertise for semiconductor inspection products through customer demonstrations, installations, prototyping, and application support. Collaborate with sales, engineering, and global applications teams to develop solutions that address customer yield and inspection challenges.
Based in Austin, TX; the role involves customer-facing work and cross-functional coordination on product characterization and new product introductions.
Experience Level
Entry-level / Early career — hiring candidates consistent with the minimum qualifications (Master's with 0 years related experience or Bachelor's with 2 years related experience).
Responsibilities
The Applications Engineer will focus on customer support and product development activities, driving adoption and characterization of inspection solutions.
- Conduct product demonstrations, rapid prototyping, and head-to-head evaluations at customer sites.
- Investigate semiconductor manufacturing yield issues and recommend inspection solutions.
- Develop test plans, collect and analyze characterization data; produce application notes and best-known-method documents.
- Create training materials and transfer knowledge to KLA's worldwide applications teams and customers.
- Support sales with technical presentations, product specifications, and beta testing activities.
- Participate in new product introductions and early evaluation tools.
- Travel frequently to customer sites (greater than 30%).
Requirements
Must-have skills and attributes (degree requirements are summarized separately under Education Requirements).
- Training or hands-on experience in semiconductor equipment, IC processing, or related manufacturing environments.
- Strong troubleshooting skills and a methodical problem-solving approach.
- Clear verbal and written communication; experience presenting technical material to customers and internal teams.
- Experience building demos or rapid prototypes and performing practical product validations; basic software development or scripting for demonstrations is a plus.
- Organized, self-directed, able to manage multiple projects and follow through on deliverables.
- Effective teamwork and interpersonal skills; ability to work with limited supervision.
- Willingness to travel frequently (>30%).
Education Requirements
Minimum: Master's degree (0 years related experience) OR Bachelor's degree with 2 years related experience. Preferred fields: Engineering or Physics. Additional training or coursework in semiconductor/IC processing or related technical fields is expected.
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.
