Product Development Engineer (Mechanical Engineering) in Newport, Wales

Company Overview

Filmetrics, a KLA company, is the market leader in 3D optical surface profiling and thin‑film thickness measurement systems. Filmetrics products combine innovative hardware solutions with intuitive, easy to use software, tied together with a pioneering online platform. Filmetrics is part of KLA Corporation which develops industry‑leading equipment and services that enable innovation throughout the electronics industry. We provide advanced process control and process‑enabling solutions for manufacturing wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. In close collaboration with leading customers across the globe, our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem‑solvers design solutions that move the world forward.

Job Description / Preferred Qualifications

KLA Instruments is hiring a Product Development Engineer with a strong Mechanical Engineering focus to support the development of advanced inspection and metrology systems for scientific and semiconductor manufacturing. This role is part of a global product development organization, working closely with engineering and product teams across the USA, UK, and India. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, integration, testing, and validation of precision mechanical and opto mechanical subsystems, supporting products from early development through release to manufacturing and sustaining support.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and verify precision mechanical and opto mechanical subsystems for metrology tools.
• Collaborate with systems, optics, electrical, software, manufacturing, and service teams to develop robust and manufacturable designs.
• Perform mechanical analysis (structural, thermal, vibration/modal) to support design decisions and performance optimisation.
• Support system level integration, alignment, and verification of mechanical assemblies and subsystems.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate mechanical performance, reliability, and compliance with specifications.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities, including prototype builds, validation, design release, and transition to manufacturing.
• Participate in root cause analysis and troubleshooting of mechanical and system level issues during development and customer escalations.
• Produce clear technical documentation, including drawings, specifications, tolerance analyses, assembly procedures, and test reports.

KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. For this role we are looking for someone who has:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Experience in mechanical design and development within a product development or engineering environment.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD tools (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks) and generation of detailed drawings with GD&T.
• Experience with mechanical analysis and simulation (structural, thermal, vibration/modal FEA).
• Exposure to opto‑mechanical systems, optical alignment, or precision instrumentation.
• Experience supporting prototype builds, verification testing, and design release to manufacturing.
• Familiarity with motion systems, precision stages, or vibration‑sensitive designs.
• Understanding of manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, castings, tolerancing, and DFM/DFA principles).
• Ability to work effectively in multi‑disciplinary, geographically distributed teams.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and communication skills.
• Experience with data analysis tools such as Python or MATLAB.

What we will offer you?

KLA’s benefits package includes: Annual leave starting at 25 days (plus bank holidays), contributory pension scheme, cash health plan, cycle to work scheme, global bonus plan, share scheme, rewards scheme and life assurance!

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s Level Degree; Bachelor’s Level Degree and related work experience. 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. For this role we are looking for a candidate who is motivated to succeed, contributes to teamwork, and remains aligned with KLA's corporate values and mission.