System Engineer - Optical Imaging System

Job Title

System Engineer - Optical Imaging System

Role Summary

Lead system-level development and integration for optical imaging inspection systems used in semiconductor reticle and wafer inspection. The role partners with optics, hardware, software, and applications teams to improve performance, robustness, throughput, and manufacturability of inspection products.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Typical candidates have multiple years of relevant system-development experience; see Education Requirements for formal degree and experience combinations.

Responsibilities

The engineer will drive product development, perform system-level analysis, and support product transfer to manufacturing and field teams.

• Lead product development activities focused on system performance, robustness, and manufacturability.
• Perform system-level integration across optics, imaging, hardware, software, and application workflows.
• Analyze product performance, identify gaps, and implement solutions to improve sensitivity, stability, throughput, and usability.
• Design, execute, and interpret experiments to evaluate system behavior, trade-offs, and engineering risks.
• Work with cross-functional teams to root-cause technical issues and drive corrective actions.
• Translate system and customer needs into engineering requirements, validation plans, and development priorities.
• Contribute to design reviews, technical risk assessments, and product readiness decisions.
• Develop test plans and produce analysis reports to support development and production transfer.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, field, and application teams to support product transfer, issue resolution, and continuous improvement.
• Own complex technical topics, apply structured problem solving, and drive execution to closure.

Requirements

Required and preferred technical skills, tools, and behaviors for successful performance in the role.

Must-have:

• Experience in system-level integration and product development for optical imaging or inspection systems.
• Demonstrated analytical and structured problem-solving skills; ability to design and run experiments and interpret results.
• Experience identifying performance gaps and implementing solutions to improve sensitivity, stability, and throughput.
• Ability to collect data using standard tool operation and diagnostic software and to create clear analysis reports.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with optical system modeling and performance analysis.
• Hands-on experience with optical microscopy techniques.
• Understanding of Fourier optics and geometric optics.
• Experience with lasers, illumination systems, and CCD/CMOS cameras.
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as MATLAB or Python.

Education Requirements

Options listed by employer: Doctorate (PhD) with 0 years related experience; Master’s degree with ~3 years related experience; Bachelor’s degree with ~5 years related experience. Preferred academic background in engineering or physical sciences (examples: optical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, applied physics, or related technical fields). No specific certifications required; equivalent practical experience acceptable per employer's degree/experience combinations.

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.