Design Engineer (Semiconductor Machinery Hardware)

Job Title

Design Engineer (Semiconductor Machinery Hardware)

Role Summary

Design and engineer semiconductor fabrication hardware, rethinking part and system design to leverage additive manufacturing and other modern production methods. The role sits on a cross-functional engineering team working directly with internal operations and external semiconductor engineering partners to convert advanced concepts into qualified production hardware.

This is a hands-on mechanical engineering position focused on high-precision components and assemblies used in semiconductor equipment.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Role expects approximately 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience in semiconductor equipment or fabrication industry.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include component- and system-level design, prototyping, and collaboration with operations and customers.

• Drive design and redesign of components across semiconductor fabrication applications, including wafer handling and robotic end-effectors, vacuum-compatible armatures, thermal management hardware and cold plates, UHV chambers and internal components, gas delivery manifolds, lithography tool structures and optics mounts, and pedestals/showerhead assemblies.
• Develop deep understanding of component requirements, performance drivers, and system constraints within semiconductor equipment.
• Rethink part design from first principles to exploit additive manufacturing and other processes for improved performance, consolidation, cost, or lead time.
• Evaluate design concepts with attention to materials, tolerances, thermal and structural behavior, and production considerations.
• Independently answer advanced technical questions about tradeoffs, process capabilities, qualification pathways, and production scalability.
• Collaborate with internal engineering and operations teams to drive feasibility, refine concepts, and align execution.
• Engage directly with customer engineering teams to gather requirements, present solutions, and establish technical credibility.
• Identify new application spaces and provide field-informed feedback to influence product, process, and technology roadmaps.

Requirements

Must-have technical background and practical experience relevant to semiconductor equipment design.

• 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience in the semiconductor equipment or fabrication industry.
• Strong intuition for part design and design-for-manufacturing; ability to relate component geometry to performance and producibility.
• Systems-level understanding of complex semiconductor fabrication hardware and how components function within larger assemblies.
• Proven ability to evaluate materials, tolerances, thermal and structural behavior, and production implications.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to engineering and non-engineering stakeholders.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with wafer handling systems, vacuum hardware, thermal management components, fluid delivery systems, or precision structural assemblies.
• Familiarity with metal manufacturing processes, including additive manufacturing, casting, forging, or advanced machining.
• Experience taking hardware through development, qualification, and production ramp.
• Strong first-principles reasoning and experience operating in ambiguous, fast-moving problem spaces.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related technical discipline is required.

About the Company

Company: Technology Navigators

Headquarters: Austin, TX, USA

Technical staffing firm based in Austin, Texas, specializing in recruiting skilled technologists for project-oriented consulting and contract positions since 1999.