Engineering Director

Job description

Bold Thinking. World Changing. At SkyWater, our ingenuity helps improve lives around the world by manufacturing U.S. made semiconductors that are essential ingredients of modern life. Automotive safety enhancements, life-saving medical devices, consumer electronics and American security require semiconductors. Working in our Minnesota headquarters, Florida, or Texas location — employees join together to improve the world. Explore what’s possible. Joining our U.S. - based team means contributing to and learning about the commercialization of some of the most exciting technologies the world has ever seen. We are turning “science fiction” into everyday reality through technologies such as superconducting, 3D integrated circuits or computer chips, carbon nanotubes, photonic logic devices, micro electro-mechanical systems and other emerging device topologies. We manufacture products for aerospace and defense, medical, automotive, consumer and industrial markets, to name a few. Our customers include emerging leaders who rely on our intellectual property security and quality manufacturing services. Step into the future. SkyWater’s values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration, Empowerment and Growth Mindset guide us to cultivate an empowered, learning environment. We also invest in developing highly skilled, dedicated employees — and employees who are entering the workforce for the first time, from the military, and a variety of educational backgrounds. Are you bold thinking? Find your place on our team and help us change the world! The Director of Engineering provides executive-level leadership for all process engineering, process development, and yield optimization across the SkyWater Austin, TX facility. This role is responsible for strategic oversight of the fab's core process technologies and node development, and for leading a multidisciplinary team of engineers. The Director ensures long-term factory competitiveness by driving technology scaling, stabilizing process capabilities, and accelerating yield learning cycles to align with corporate financial and production goals. Will foster a culture of rigorous scientific excellence and serve as the primary technical bridge between fab operations and executive leadership. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership & Roadmap Execution • Define the engineering vision and multi-year technology roadmaps aligned with corporate growth, yield scaling, and profitability goals. • Lead and mentor a multi-disciplinary team of engineering managers and individual contributors. Fab Operations & Continuous Improvement • Own the balanced scorecard metrics across all critical fab modules (e.g., Lithography, Etch, CVD/PVD Thin Films, Diffusion, Ion Implantation, CMP, and Metrology). • Maximize overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by optimizing and ensuring process robustness • Enforce Statistical Process Control (SPC), Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies to aggressively minimize process variability and accelerate defect reduction. Execute NPI Roadmaps & Technology Transfer • Collaborate directly with the Technology Development (TD) team to seamlessly transfer new process nodes into the fab, accelerating yield-learning ramps while maintaining baseline stability for existing high-volume manufacturing (HVM) products. • Process Window Qualification & Design Rules: Own the engineering qualification of new process windows, ensuring all structural design rules, metrology requirements, and process-capability indices (Cp/Cpk) are met before releasing new layers to production. • Manage capital expenditure (CapEx) budgets and operational budgets (OpEx) for tool capacity expansions and strategic engineering projects. • Direct relationships with major semiconductor OEM equipment vendors (e.g., ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA) and manage service contract negotiations. Safety, Quality, & Regulatory Compliance • Maintain zero-compromise adherence to Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security (EH&S) policies, cleanroom GxP protocols, and industrial safety standards. • Ensure data integrity and strict full-material traceability at the individual wafer and lot levels using advanced Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). Required Qualifications: Education • Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Solid State Physics, or a closely related technical field. Master’s degree or Ph.D. is highly preferred. Experience • Minimum of 12–15+ years of direct engineering experience within a high-volume semiconductor manufacturing cleanroom environment. • Minimum of 5–7+ years in a senior engineering management role, with a proven track record of scaling teams and driving complex, multi-million dollar engineering projects. • Extensive hands-on historical technical expertise in at least two core fab modules (e.g., Lithography, Dry Etch, CVD/PVD, or Defect Metrology). Technical Skills & Competencies • Expert knowledge of semiconductor physics, device architecture, and end-to-end wafer processing workflows. • Deep familiarity with factory automation frameworks, MES software systems (e.g., Siemens Opcenter/Camstar, SiView, PROMIS), and equipment communication protocols like SECS/GEM. • Strong command of data-driven analytics platforms (e.g., JMP, Spotfire, or SQL) used for advanced yield learning and root-cause analysis. Soft Skills & Leadership Qualities • Exceptional cross-functional collaboration capabilities to effectively act as a bridge between Fab Operations, IT, Finance, Supply Chain, and Quality Assurance. • Crisis-management adaptability, capable of steering technical teams through high-stakes, 24/7 production downtime anomalies or volatile supply chain bottlenecks SkyWater offers an exciting environment where the brightest semiconductor minds come together to achieve exceptional results. We offer a competitive salary and an opportunity to participate in incentive plans as well as other employee financial benefits, including a 401 (k) match and life insurance. Additionally, SkyWater offers a comprehensive benefits package which promotes a healthy life. This includes benefit eligibility day one, medical, dental, mental health benefits, vision, legal planning, short- and long-term disability, paid time off, paid holidays, an on-site cafeteria, fitness facility, and self-serve market. SkyWater complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Alternative methods of applying for employment are available to individuals unable to submit an application through this site because of a disability. To request reasonable accommodations, to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources at 952-851-5200 or . EOE, including disability/vets We will never ask applicants to pay fees, purchase equipment or gift cards, or provide financial information before a formal offer of employment has been accepted. If you receive a suspicious communication claiming to represent our company, please verify its authenticity by contacting our recruitment team at before responding.