R&D Director at KLA

Company Overview

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

The Director of R&D will lead all engineering disciplines supporting KLA’s PCB Product division.

The role is responsible for R&D leadership across multi‑disciplinary teams, covering systems, algorithms, software, and hardware.
This position focuses on technical leadership, engineering execution, and people management, working in close collaboration with product application, manufacturing, and service organizations.

In this role you will be a member of the division’s management, driving division strategy and key decisions.

Key Responsibilities Engineering Leadership

• Lead and align all engineering functions within the PCB domain, including:
• System Engineering
• Algorithms
• Software Engineering
• Physics, Electrical, Mechanical and Controls
• Drive the division’s technology roadmap to ensure industry best in class solutions.
• Drive strong system‑level architecture and integration across hardware, software, and algorithms.
• Define and enforce engineering standards, methodologies, and best practices.
• Partner with Program and Product Management on technical direction, feasibility, and roadmap execution.

People & Organizational Management

• Manager of Managers, leading large multi‑disciplinary engineering organizations (40+ engineers).
• Develop engineering leaders and senior technical staff.
• Build a strong engineering culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and execution excellence.

Minimum Qualifications Education

• B.Sc in Engineering or exact Science (M.Sc / PhD or MBA– advantage)

Experience

• 10+ years of engineering experience in complex, technology‑driven environments.
• At least 5 years managing multi‑disciplinary engineering organizations
• Proven experience as a leader in large organizations
• Proven experience with Executive level communication
• Solid system‑level technical understanding across software, algorithms, and hardware.

Core Capabilities

• Strong engineering management foundation with the ability to dive deep technically when needed.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills at senior and division levels.
• Experience leading large‑scale engineering programs and technical execution.

We offer a competitive, family friendly total rewards package. We design our programs to reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment, while ensuring we provide benefits that meet the diverse needs of our employees.

KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer

Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.