Gas and Chemical Engineer
Wolfspeed · Marcy, United States +1 · 18d ago
Position Summary
The Gas & Chemical Engineer is responsible for the leadership, reliability, safety, compliance, and continuous improvement of all semiconductor specialty gas, bulk chemical, slurry, and chemical distribution systems supporting manufacturing operations at the Mohawk Valley Fab. This role serves as the site subject matter expert for gas and chemical utility systems and is accountable for ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of critical facilities infrastructure.
In addition to direct ownership of gas and chemical systems, the engineer will manage and oversee the performance of the third-party Toxic Gas and Chemical Management (TGCM) contractor, ensuring compliance with safety standards, operational excellence, contractual obligations, and fab production requirements.
The successful candidate will partner closely with Facilities, Manufacturing, EHS, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Construction, and external suppliers to maintain world-class operational performance in a high-volume semiconductor manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
Gas & Chemical Systems Leadership
- Own the operational performance, reliability, and lifecycle management of all fab gas and chemical systems.
- Lead engineering activities for specialty gas, bulk gas, bulk chemical, slurry delivery, chemical distribution, abatement interfaces, and associated infrastructure.
- Develop and execute strategies to improve system reliability, uptime, capacity, and maintainability.
- Establish and maintain preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and asset management programs for gas and chemical systems.
- Provide technical leadership for system troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions related to gas and chemical distribution infrastructure.
- Support fab capacity expansions, technology transfers, and capital projects involving gas and chemical systems.
- Ensure systems are designed, operated, and maintained in accordance with applicable codes, standards, and company requirements.
- Commission and startup new equipment installations, ensuring uninterrupted supply to internal customers.
- Prepare funding estimates, establish budgets, control costs and administer contracts.
Management of Third-Party TGCM and Bulk Gas Supply Contractors
- Serve as the primary owner and governance lead for the outsourced Toxic Gas and Chemical Management (TGCM) provider.
- Establish performance metrics, KPIs, and service level expectations for contractor operations.
- Conduct regular contractor performance reviews focused on safety, compliance, operational excellence, quality, and cost management.
- Ensure TGCM personnel are properly trained, qualified, and compliant with all site and regulatory requirements.
- Lead contractor oversight activities including audits, inspections, work execution reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Manage contractor interfaces with manufacturing, facilities, EHS, emergency response teams, and site leadership.
- Drive accountability for contractor performance while fostering a collaborative partnership focused on safety and operational excellence.
Safety, Compliance & Risk Management
- Champion a strong safety culture with zero-incident expectations.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, NFPA, SEMI standards, local regulations, and company EHS requirements.
- Lead hazard assessments, process safety reviews, management of change (MOC) activities, and risk mitigation efforts.
- Support emergency preparedness planning and incident response related to toxic gases and hazardous chemicals.
- Lead investigations of safety incidents, near misses, and system failures and implement corrective actions.
Engineering & Continuous Improvement
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase equipment reliability.
- Utilize reliability engineering principles, FMEA, RCA, and data analytics to drive performance improvements.
- Develop and manage departmental budgets, operating expenditures, and capital investment plans.
- Lead engineering teams, vendors, and contractors to execute projects safely, on schedule, and within budget.
- Benchmark industry best practices and implement innovative solutions to improve fab utility performance.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate closely with Manufacturing Operations to align utility performance with production goals.
- Work with Process Engineering and Tool Owners to support process requirements and technology roadmap needs.
- Partner with Construction and Facilities teams during design, commissioning, and startup of new systems.
- Provide regular updates and performance reporting to the Facility Director and senior leadership.
- Support and lead activities for Wolfspeed PSM, RMP, MOC, PCRB, etc. processes.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in semiconductor facilities, gas and chemical systems, industrial utilities, or related manufacturing environments.
- 2+ years of leadership experience managing engineering, operations, maintenance, or contractor organizations.
- Demonstrated expertise with semiconductor gas and chemical distribution systems, including specialty gases and hazardous chemicals.
- Strong knowledge of process safety management (PSM), risk assessment methodologies, and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Experience managing contractors, service providers, and multi-disciplinary project teams.
- Proven ability to lead root cause investigations and reliability improvement initiatives.
- Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
- This position is located onsite in Marcy, NY with (5) working days per week.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within a high-volume semiconductor wafer fabrication facility.
- Knowledge of SEMI standards, NFPA 318, NFPA 55, and toxic gas management requirements.
- Experience overseeing outsourced TGCM programs and hazardous material operations.
- Familiarity with bulk gas systems, specialty gas distribution, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) slurry systems, and chemical delivery infrastructure.
- Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, reliability engineering, or project management certifications.
- Experience leading large capital projects and facility expansions.
The posted salary range is what Wolfspeed reasonably expects to pay for this position. Actual pay for a hired applicant will be determined based on the individual’s job-relevant qualifications, experience, and other determinative factors. In the event it is determined that a different job level upon hire is warranted then that range will be communicated to the hired applicant as soon as reasonably practicable.
Compensation Range:
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.