Chemical Delivery/Flow Control Device Quality Engineer E4

Who We Are

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.

What We Offer

Salary:

$133,500.00 - $183,500.00

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chemical Delivery COE Quality Representative is a Quality and Reliability role embedded in the Chemical Delivery Center of Excellence. The role provides independent quality oversight for chemical and gas delivery hardware, including mass flow controllers (MFCs), flow ratio controllers (FRCs), liquid flow controllers, vaporizers, ultra-high-purity valves and regulators, pressure-control devices, gas panels, and precursor delivery subsystems. The position addresses the technical quality challenges unique to chemical delivery, including flow accuracy and stability, leak integrity, contamination and particle control, material compatibility, cleanliness, pressure performance, software or control-algorithm behavior, long-term reliability, supplier process changes, and configuration control. The role remains within and reports through the Quality and Reliability organization while partnering with the Chemical Delivery COE. The Design Engineering Authority (DEA) retains design authority, specification ownership, supplier lock, and final technical qualification acceptance. Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) retains supplier audit and supplier corrective-action ownership.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Quality Support for Chemical Delivery Hardware Development

• Partner with the DEA and Reliability throughout development of chemical and gas delivery hardware to identify technical quality risks from concept through release.

• Translate DEA and Reliability requirements into measurable acceptance criteria and qualification or validation plans. Ensure plans address flow accuracy and stability, leak integrity, pressure performance, cleanliness, particles, material compatibility, control behavior, and life requirements as applicable.

• Participate in design reviews and DFMEA/PMECA activities to ensure high-risk failure modes have defined prevention controls, detection controls, owners, and closure evidence.

• Independently review specification completeness, manufacturability, testability, measurement capability, traceability, cleanliness, packaging, material compatibility, and contamination risk. Escalate technical gaps to the DEA.

• Develop or review FAI, PQP, inspection, test, and qualification protocols needed to verify the defined technical requirements. Quality coordinates evidence completeness; the designated test organization executes testing; the DEA provides final technical acceptance.

• Partner with Reliability Engineering on reliability targets, mission profiles, sample-size rationale, accelerated-life testing, stress testing, failure-analysis triggers, and reliability evidence.

Technical Issue Resolution and Accountability

• Ensure development, manufacturing, qualification, supplier, and field issues are routed to the correct Issue Owning Function (IOF). Lead structured problem solving when Quality is the accountable function; provide quality-method support when Design, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Reliability, or Product Support owns the root cause.

• Ensure risk-based containment and objective corrective-action evidence are in place for flow drift, leakage, clogging, contamination, particle excursions, pressure instability, software or algorithm issues, documentation defects, and component failures.

• Define the failure-analysis question, evidence required, sample handling, chain of custody, and decision timing with Engineering, Reliability, SQE, Product Support, internal laboratories, and suppliers.

• Maintain a Chemical Delivery quality action register that identifies the issue, technical risk, containment, IOF, accountable owner, due date, root-cause status, corrective action, and effectiveness evidence.

• Independently verify corrective-action effectiveness using objective data and an appropriate monitoring period. Ensure validated lessons are incorporated into specifications, qualification plans, control plans, supplier requirements, or service procedures by the accountable owner.

Supplier and Component Technical Quality

• Partner with SQE, DEA, BU Quality, and Supplier Engineering on technical quality requirements for MFCs, FRCs, regulators, valves, transducers, vaporizers, manifolds, and related subsystems. SQE remains accountable for supplier audits and supplier corrective actions.

• Ensure critical characteristics, acceptance criteria, measurement methods, sampling rationale, traceability, cleanliness controls, change-notification requirements, and reaction plans are documented and flowed to the supplier.

• Provide commodity-specific technical input to supplier audits and corrective actions. SQE leads the audit and supplier corrective-action process; the Quality Representative verifies that technical risks and evidence requirements are adequately addressed.

• Facilitate risk-based nonconformance review. Ensure use-as-is, repair, deviation, and specification interpretations receive approval from the appropriate technical authority and do not bypass configuration control.

Qualification Evidence and Technical Control Readiness

• Own quality oversight and evidence completeness for qualification and validation of chemical delivery hardware, subsystems, and cleaning or contamination-control processes. The DEA owns technical requirements and final acceptance; the designated test organization owns test execution.

• Author or maintain quality plans, control plans, inspection plans, qualification evidence matrices, risk registers, and quality release checklists within the Quality organization.

• Verify that quality evidence and controls align with applicable SEMI standards, ISO 9001-based quality-system requirements, internal PDP requirements, Copy Exact obligations, customer change-notification requirements, and configuration control.

• Maintain auditable quality records and report technical risk, qualification readiness, control coverage, recurring failures, action aging, containment status, supplier escapes, field trends, and corrective-action effectiveness to Quality and Engineering leadership.

Cross-Functional Technical Quality Leadership

• Act as the Quality and Reliability representative for Chemical Delivery COE activities and provide an independent quality position on technical risk and release readiness.

• Facilitate technical quality reviews across DEA, Reliability, BU Quality, SQE, Manufacturing, Product Support, and suppliers. Document decisions, accountable owners, due dates, and unresolved risks.

• Communicate evidence-based quality status, including the technical risk, customer or business impact, containment, accountable owner, decision required, and closure commitment.

• Apply SPC, process capability, measurement-system analysis, DOE, Pareto analysis, and reliability statistics to recurring technical problems and control weaknesses.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related technical field.

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience in semiconductor industry, preferably supporting semiconductor equipment or comparable high-purity, high-technology hardware.

• Hands-on knowledge of chemical and gas delivery hardware, including MFCs, FRCs, liquid flow controllers, pressure controllers, gas panels, and associated instrumentation.

• Strong understanding of semiconductor unit processes (CVD, PVD, ALD, ETCH, CMP, EPI…) and their gas and chemical delivery requirements.

• Demonstrated expertise in root cause analysis and corrective action (8D, 5-Why, fishbone, FMEA) and CAPA management.

• Strong working knowledge of quality tools and frameworks — FMEA, control plans, risk management, and qualification/validation.

• Experience with supplier quality, component qualification, incoming inspection, and nonconformance processes.

• Familiarity with high-purity systems, contamination/particle control, leak testing, and clean room protocols.

• Familiarity with SEMI standards, ISO, and other equivalent regulatory and quality requirements.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate technical requirements for cross-functional and non-technical audiences.

• Advanced degree (M.S.) in a relevant engineering field.

• Six Sigma certification and proficiency with quality management systems (QMS).

CORE COMPETENCIES

Technical

• Chemical & gas delivery hardware (MFC, FRC, LFC,…)

• Quality engineering & reliability methods

• Root cause analysis & CAPA (8D, FMEA)

• Supplier quality & qualification/validation

Leadership & Collaboration

• Stakeholder management & influence

• Cross-functional facilitation

• Clear and persuasive communication

• Problem-solving & analytical thinking

Travel: Yes, up to 25% of the time (domestic and international)

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 25% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

No

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.