Staff / Principal Quality Engineer, Manufacturing Operations

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. 

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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. 

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The Operations Quality Engineer is responsible for driving product, process, supplier, and operational quality throughout the manufacturing lifecycle. This role develops and deploys quality systems, drives structured problem solving and corrective actions, supports factory operations, and partners with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Global Quality, and Customer Teams to prevent defects, improve cycle time, reduce cost of poor quality, and ensure world-class customer satisfaction.

The successful candidate will be hands on, technical, and use data-driven methodologies, quality engineering tools, and continuous improvement practices to improve product and manufacturing performance while maintaining compliance with company and customer requirements.

• Support Worldwide operations quality execution across Customer Experience, assembly, integration, test, inspection, qualification, and field startup activities.

• Improve quality outcomes across internal factory processes, customer escalations, and field learning feedback loops.

• Serve as a technical quality partner for Manufacturing, Product Engineering, Design Engineering, Supply Chain, Global Product Support, and Customer Teams.

• Apply structured quality systems and data analytics to reduce defect escapes, repetitive nonconformances, rework, scrap, and qualification cycle time.

• This is a hands-on technical role, expected to solve real problems. This is NOT a reporting role

• Design and implement inspection, testing, and quality control methodologies for manufacturing and production equipment.

• Interpret engineering drawings, specifications, GD&T, product requirements, and manufacturing standards.

• Support product qualification, reliability testing, process validation, First Article Inspection, and release readiness.

• Establish risk-based quality gates and defect prevention strategies across the manufacturing flow.

• Lead structured root cause investigations using 8D, CAPA, DMAIC, Fishbone, 5-Why, Pareto analysis, and related quality methods.

• Analyze quality data to identify trends, systemic issues, and recurring failure modes.

• Drive effective corrective and preventive actions that reduce defects, escapes, scrap, rework, and repeat issues.

• Validate CAPA effectiveness and sustain improvements through control plans and metrics.

• Support customer quality issues, escalations, containment activities, and executive-quality customer communications.

• Partner with customer account teams and global support organizations to reduce installation defects and startup quality issues.

• Prepare customer-ready presentations and concise technical summaries for quality reviews.

• Feed customer learnings back into manufacturing controls, training, documentation, and prevention systems.

• Analyze operational data and develop recommendations to improve quality, productivity, cycle time, and cost performance.

• Build or support dashboards, KPIs, trend reviews, and visual management routines using Excel, Power BI, Tableau, JMP, or similar tools.

• Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement projects focused on quality outcomes.

• Promote a prevention-focused quality culture across operations and supporting functions.

• Influence cross-functional teams without direct authority and drive accountability for quality ownership.

• Share best known methods across global sites, business units, and functional organizations.

• Mentor junior engineers, inspectors, technicians, and manufacturing personnel on quality tools and process controls.

• Act as a resource for colleagues and lead projects with manageable risk, scope, and resource requirements.

Quality Engineering: 8D, CAPA, RCA, SPC, MSA, FMEA, Control Plans, FAI, audit methods, ISO 9001, process validation, reliability testing

Data and Digital Tools: Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, Tableau, JMP, statistical analysis, data visualization, Microsoft Copilot or AI-assisted productivity tools

Manufacturing Knowledge: Semiconductor capital equipment, assembly and integration, inspection and metrology, engineering drawings, GD&T, qualification and release processes

Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Physical Sciences, or another related technical discipline. Equivalent Applied Materials technical experience may be considered where appropriate.

Experience: Quality, manufacturing, product, supplier, customer, process, test, or reliability engineering experience in semiconductor capital equipment or a comparable complex manufacturing environment.

Preferred: Experience with customer quality, factory quality, supplier recovery, installation quality, startup issues, audit readiness, analytics dashboards, Lean Six Sigma, and structured corrective action systems.

Additional Information

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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.