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 & ResponsibilitiesPosition Summary
The Senior Engineering Manager, NPD Software will lead a high-performing software engineering organization responsible for delivering new product development capabilities for semiconductor capital equipment platforms. This role is accountable for software strategy, execution, quality, architecture alignment, and cross-functional delivery across complex inspection, metrology, automation, data acquisition, image processing, system control, and customer-facing workflow software.
The ideal candidate combines deep software engineering leadership with strong semiconductor equipment domain knowledge, including tool control, factory automation, hardware/software integration, reliability, serviceability, and disciplined productization of advanced technology from concept through release.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the NPD software team through the full product development lifecycle, from requirements definition and architecture through implementation, verification, release, field introduction, and sustaining transition.
- Own software execution for new product programs, ensuring predictable delivery against scope, schedule, quality, reliability, and customer commitments.
- Partner with systems engineering, hardware engineering, optics, algorithms, applications, product management, manufacturing, service, and program management to define integrated software solutions for complex semiconductor capital equipment.
- Drive software architecture, design reviews, code quality, technical debt reduction, cybersecurity readiness, scalability, maintainability, and long-term platform reuse.
- Ensure robust hardware/software integration for motion control, sensors, detectors, image acquisition, data pipelines, recipe execution, diagnostics, calibration, and equipment automation workflows.
- Establish engineering discipline around requirements traceability, defect management, configuration management, CI/CD, automated test, release readiness, and change control.
- Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for complex software, system integration, and customer escalation issues during NPD and early field adoption.
- Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing global engineering team, including technical leads, software developers, test engineers, and integration contributors.
- Develop staffing plans, capability roadmaps, succession plans, and skill-development strategies aligned to product roadmap and business priorities.
- Communicate program status, risks, tradeoffs, technical decisions, and recovery plans clearly to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
QualificationsRequired Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant experience delivering complex, instrument-control, automation, embedded, distributed, or high-performance software systems.
- 5+ years of engineering management experience leading software teams through new product development, release execution, and cross-functional delivery.
- Demonstrated experience managing software for semiconductor capital equipment, industrial automation, scientific instrumentation, robotics, metrology, inspection, or similarly complex cyber-physical systems.
- Strong understanding of software development lifecycle practices, including architecture, requirements management, design reviews, code reviews, test strategy, defect triage, release governance, and sustaining handoff.
- Experience leading global or distributed teams and coordinating execution across multiple engineering functions, time zones, and product stakeholders.
- Ability to translate business and product objectives into executable technical plans, measurable deliverables, and clear engineering priorities.
- Excellent communication, decision-making, organizational, and stakeholder-management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in a relevant engineering or technical field.
- Experience with semiconductor inspection, metrology, wafer handling, recipe management, factory automation, or SECS/GEM, equipment diagnostics.
- Background in C++, C#, .NET, Python, Windows/Linux systems, real-time control, distributed systems, image/data processing pipelines, databases, or equipment user-interface software.
- Experience with Agile, hybrid Agile, or phase-gate NPD execution models in a regulated or high-reliability product environment.
- Familiarity with software quality metrics, reliability growth, cybersecurity practices, static analysis, automated regression testing, and release-readiness dashboards.
- Experience supporting customer escalations, factory acceptance, system qualification, and field introduction of complex equipment platforms.
- Demonstrated ability to modernize legacy software platforms while balancing near-term delivery commitments and long-term architectural health.
Leadership Expectations
This leader is expected to create a culture of technical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The Senior Engineering Manager will coach managers and technical leads, set clear expectations, remove organizational barriers, and ensure the team operates with urgency, transparency, and engineering rigor. The role requires a hands-on understanding of complex software systems while enabling the team to solve problems independently and scale execution across multiple NPD workstreams.
Success Measures
- On-time delivery of NPD software milestones with clear visibility into risks, dependencies, and recovery plans.
- Improved software quality, defect containment, regression coverage, release predictability, and field stability.
- Effective cross-functional integration with hardware, systems, algorithms, applications, manufacturing, service, and product teams.
- Reduced technical debt and increased platform reuse across software capabilities.
- Strong team engagement, talent development, succession readiness, and retention of critical software expertise.
- Clear executive communication on execution status, technical tradeoffs, resource needs, and business impact.
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:
$144,000.00 - $216,000.00, offered in good faith and based on experience, location, and qualifications.
- 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).
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