Senior Systems Engineer

Onto Innovation is a leader in process control, combining global scale with an expanded portfolio of leading-edge technologies that include: 3D metrology spanning the chip from nanometer-scale transistors to micron-level die-interconnects; macro defect inspection of wafers and packages; metal interconnect composition; factory analytics; and lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Our breadth of offerings across the entire semiconductor value chain helps our customers solve their most difficult yield, device performance, quality, and reliability issues. Onto Innovation strives to optimize customers’ critical path of progress by making them smarter, faster and more efficient.

Job Summary & Responsibilities

The Service Sustaining NPI Engineer owns service readiness and lifecycle support for released Onto products. This role applies NPI discipline after product release to ensure CIPs, upgrades, FCOs, obsolescence mitigations, refurb programs, and major product changes are ready for efficient global field deployment. The engineer serves as the Service technical owner across Engineering, Field Service, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Product Management, and Service Marketing to improve tool uptime, reduce service cost, extend product life, and ensure the installed base remains supportable through the full product lifecycle.

The role is accountable for sustaining the service infrastructure required to support released products, including FRU strategy, service BOMs, retrofit/upgrade kits, service tooling, technical documentation, training plans, spare parts readiness, and rollout plans. Success requires strong system-level troubleshooting, disciplined change management, hands-on service knowledge, and the ability to convert field issues and business opportunities into executable engineering programs.

Key Responsibilities

Released Product Lifecycle / Sustaining NPI

• Own the service readiness process for sustaining releases, ensuring completion of documentation, training, spares, tooling, service BOM, support infrastructure, and field validation requirements prior to deployment.
• Represent field service requirements during engineering change and sustaining program reviews.
• Capture and prioritize Voice of Service feedback from the global service organization.
• Lead reliability and serviceability improvement initiatives using field performance data.
• Identify opportunities to improve MTTR, PM duration, FRU replacement efficiency, and service tooling effectiveness.
• Coordinate root cause investigations and preventive actions for recurring field issues.
• Drive post-release lessons learned back into DFS requirements and future product development.
• Maintain released-product service infrastructure, including service BOMs, FRU definitions, recommended stocking lists, service tooling, troubleshooting content, PM/FRU procedures, training materials, and escalation paths.

CIP, Upgrade, and FCO Rollout

• Define field rollout requirements for CIPs, upgrades, retrofits, and FCOs, including kit content, labor assumptions, tooling, documentation, training, and regional deployment support.
• Ensure documentation and training updates are released before field deployment of major changes.
• Coordinate ECO/ECN/PCN readiness with service documentation, parts release, configuration control, and field communication.
• Ensure field upgrade kits, retrofit plans, and service documentation are available prior to product release.
• Track rollout effectiveness and ensure field feedback is incorporated into follow-on improvements.

• Partner with supply chain and planning to ensure spares, kits, and replacement components are available before customer rollout.

Cost, Lifecycle, and Business Impact

• Analyze field reliability, service cost, escalation trends, spare consumption, and upgrade adoption data to prioritize sustaining initiatives.
• Support cost-of-service reduction through design improvements, second-source opportunities, repair strategies, tooling improvements, documentation/training improvements, and PM optimization.
• Partner with Service Marketing/Product Management to assess upgrade business cases, installed-base applicability, customer value, and margin impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in semiconductor capital equipment, electronics, automation systems, or related industries.
• Experience as a systems engineer, field service engineer, sustaining engineer, or product support engineer supporting complex semiconductor capital equipment.
• Experience supporting released products through engineering change, field retrofit, upgrade, or FCO rollout.
• Strong understanding of service BOMs, FRU strategy, spare parts planning, and field service documentation.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional technical projects involving Engineering, Field Service, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Product/Service Marketing.
• Ability to translate field issues into structured problem statements, root cause investigations, corrective actions, and measurable service improvements.
• Working knowledge of ECO/ECN/SCR processes, configuration control, and product lifecycle management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with semiconductor capital equipment installed-base support, field upgrades, retrofit kits, or customer-facing corrective actions.
• Experience with cost-of-service reduction, obsolescence mitigation, second-source qualification, or repair/refurbishment programs.
• Familiarity with service readiness metrics such as MTTR, MTBF, spares availability, install labor, PM duration, documentation readiness, and service cost.
• Experience building rollout packages for global field teams, including kit plans, service procedures, training, and customer communication inputs.
• Practical hands-on experience with complex electromechanical, optical, automation, or metrology/inspection systems.

Why Join Onto Innovation?

At Onto Innovation, we believe your work should matter—and so should your well-being. That’s why we offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you and your family. From health, dental, and vision coverage to life and disability insurance, PTO, and a 401(k) with employer match, we’ve got you covered. You’ll also enjoy access to our Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), wellness initiatives, and cutting-edge tools—all within a collaborative, inclusive culture where your contributions are valued and recognized.

Compensation & Growth

• Base Salary Range:

• Additional Rewards: Annual bonus opportunities and potential long-term incentives tied to both company and individual success.

Empowering Every Voice to Shape the Future:

Onto Innovation is committed to creating a workplace where every qualified candidate has an equal opportunity to succeed. We evaluate applicants based on skills, experience, and potential - without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe diversity of thought and background drives innovation and strengthens our team.

Important Note on Export Compliance

For certain positions requiring access to technical data, U.S. export licensing review may be necessary for applicants who are not U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, or other protected persons under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).