Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

Salary:

$174,000.00 - $239,500.00

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

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.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

Role Summary

We are seeking a Software & Automation Product Marketing Manager with a B.S. or M.S. in Controls, Mechatronics, EE, Systems, or related discipline and 5–10 years of experience in semiconductor equipment (or closely related capital equipment) product development and/or applications.
This role is responsible for translating real production and NPI process/application needs into differentiated software and automation capabilities—delivered either through existing premium software offerings or new capability development. You will own the business and marketing strategy, influence investment decisions, and drive product positioning, pricing inputs, field readiness, and customer adoption to grow premium software revenue and customer value.

Key Responsibilities Market & Customer Needs Translation (Production + NPI)

Study current and emerging process/application needs across Production, NPI, and customer HVM ramps, identifying gaps/opportunities where software + automation can create measurable value (throughput, yield, reliability, stability, labor reduction, OEE).
Convert application insights into clear capability requirements (controls, sensing, automation workflows, analytics, closed-loop control, fault detection, recipe optimization, etc.).
Define and maintain a capability roadmap that maps customer outcomes to deliverable software features—leveraging existing premium capabilities or driving new development when needed.

Business & Marketing Strategy (Premium Software Growth)

Develop abstract scope business and marketing plans, assess market penetration, and execute product positioning to drive competitive advantage, revenue, and market share for premium software.
Identify and recommend investment decisions for new product/capability development based on TAM/SAM/SOM, attach rate potential, differentiation, and customer adoption barriers.
Drive value proposition creation with quantified customer impact, including ROI models, productivity improvements, and operational outcome metrics.

Competitive Intelligence & Differentiation

Conduct abstract competitive analysis for relevant product lines and drive Red Team analysis to sharpen differentiation and defend leadership.
Maintain a strong understanding of competitor automation architectures, sensor/control strategies, and software monetization approaches.

Pricing, Packaging & Commercial Execution

Assist with abstract pricing and packaging strategies to build/protect leadership in market share while improving margins and value capture.
Define premium software offers (bundles/options), feature tiering, and packaging aligned to customer segments and application maturity.

Cross-Functional Leadership (Engineering, Manufacturing, Sales, Field)

Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Sales to develop new products and enhance existing offerings, communicating critical market needs and time requirements.
Lead cross-functional execution for customer-ready releases: documentation, enablement, demos, and sales/field readiness.
Support field teams to ensure synergistic account strategies, optimizing opportunities for penetration, expansions, and renewals (where applicable).

Lifecycle & Release Management

Manage release of abstract products through the end of product life cycle, including launch planning, adoption acceleration, customer feedback loops, and sunset plans.

Functional Knowledge

Regarded as a technical expert in software + automation for semiconductor (or equivalent) equipment.
Demonstrates deep expertise in controls, sensors, automation workflows, and equipment operation, with broad knowledge across software architecture, system integration, and applications.

Business Expertise

Anticipates business issues and adoption barriers; recommends product, process, and commercialization improvements.
Understands technical and business environments and contributes to strategies aligned to business objectives (growth, differentiation, customer value, margin).

Leadership

Leads programs/projects with notable risk and complexity; develops strategy for execution across engineering, product management, field, and sales.
Influences stakeholders at senior levels using data-driven narratives and quantified customer outcomes.

Problem Solving

Solves unique and complex problems with broad business impact; applies conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions that connect customer needs to scalable product offerings.

Impact

Impacts direction and resource allocation for a product/capability portfolio; works within general functional policies and industry guidelines.
Drives measurable outcomes such as attach rate, adoption, revenue growth, and differentiated customer value.

Interpersonal Skills

Communicates complex ideas clearly, anticipates objections, and persuades stakeholders—often at senior levels—to adopt new perspectives on strategy, roadmap, and investments.
Strong collaboration with engineering teams while effectively representing customer and business priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

B.S. or M.S. in Controls, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related.
5–10 years of experience in one or more of:

Semiconductor equipment product development
Controls / automation engineering
Applications engineering
Equipment software systems, sensors/metrology integration, process control systems

Demonstrated ability to translate application needs into software/capability requirements and drive cross-functional execution.
Experience working with complex systems involving motion/robotics, vacuum, sensors, interlocks, control loops, stability improvement, and/or automation sequencing.

Additional Information Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 20% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

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.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.