Global Product Support (GPS) Engineer IV (E4) – Sculpta Platform

Applied Materials’ Sculpta® platform redefines precision patterning at the most advanced semiconductor technology nodes, where nanometer‑level accuracy directly impacts yield, performance, and cost. Built on deep innovation across mechanical design, motion control, vacuum systems, and system‑level integration, Sculpta solves problems conventional tools cannot.
This role is for senior support engineers who want true ownership—using data, engineering judgment, and hands‑on expertise to deliver fab‑ready systems that run reliably at scale in the world’s leading semiconductor fabs.

Role Summary

The Global Product Support Engineer IV is a senior individual contributor responsible for owning and resolving the most complex field and factory issues for Sculpta systems. This role operates at the intersection of Field Service, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and R&D, leading high‑severity escalations, root cause investigations, and reliability improvements that directly impact machine availability and customer confidence.

This is a high‑autonomy, high‑visibility technical leadership role, expected to operate independently on ambiguous, high‑impact problems.

Key Responsibilities

Advanced Escalation & Technical Ownership

• Own high‑severity L4 system escalations, driving end‑to‑end technical resolution and closure.
• Serve as the primary technical interface between Field Service, Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and R&D.
• Lead structured troubleshooting of complex electro‑mechanical, vacuum, plasma, controls, and integration‑related issues.

Root Cause Analysis & Data‑Driven Problem Solving

• Lead root cause investigations using system logs, alarms, sensor data, failure analysis results, and field observations.
• Perform trend analysis, Pareto analysis, correlation studies, and fleet‑level assessments to identify systemic failure drivers.
• Quantify issue impact using metrics such as machine availability (MA), MTBI, recurrence rate, and customer risk.
• Translate data insights into clear technical hypotheses, corrective actions, and validation plans.

Reliability Improvement & CAPA Execution

• Define and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) across hardware, software, process, and operational domains.
• Partner with engineering teams to validate solutions through lab testing, qualification, and field verification.
• Track post‑implementation performance using data to confirm sustained improvement and issue closure.

Field & Customer Support

• Provide senior‑level technical support to key customers, including on‑site support during critical escalations.
• Support customer installs, upgrades, recoveries, and early product deployments.
• Communicate complex technical findings clearly and confidently to customers and internal stakeholders.

NPI & Continuous Improvement

• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and early customer ramp activities with structured, data‑backed field feedback.
• Identify recurring failure patterns and lead continuous improvement programs (CIPs) to improve uptime, reliability, and serviceability.
• Contribute to improvements in diagnostic coverage, monitoring, and data quality.

Knowledge Capture & Technical Leadership

• Author and review technical documentation including BKMs, CENs, ISBs, and troubleshooting guides, incorporating data‑based insights.
• Mentor junior GPS engineers and Field Service Engineers in structured troubleshooting and data‑driven debugging.
• Share best practices and lessons learned across the global support organization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or a related Engineering discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in product support, systems engineering, or semiconductor capital equipment
  (advanced degree may reduce required experience).
• Strong hands‑on experience with complex electro‑mechanical systems.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems using data‑driven analysis and engineering judgment.
• Proven ability to operate independently on ambiguous, high‑impact technical challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with vacuum systems, plasma chambers, robotics, motion control, or RF subsystems.
• Strong experience with data analysis and visualization tools, including JMP, advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, macros/VBA, Power Query), or similar tools.
• Experience analyzing large data sets from system logs, alarms, sensors, fleet data, and field reports.
• Familiarity with FRACAS, DFMEA, fleet analytics, and availability / MTBI metrics.
• Experience supporting high‑volume manufacturing fabs and customer escalations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with customers and senior technical leadership.