Epitaxy Team Lead - Principal in Ipswich

About Huawei Research and Development UK Limited. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 207,000 employees and operate in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

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This spirit of innovation has led Huawei to work in close partnership with leading academic institutions in the UK to develop and refine the latest technologies. With a shared commitment to innovation and progress, both parties have worked together to achieve common goals and establish a strong partnership. The partnership between UK and Huawei helps to develop the technologies of the future that will transform the way we all communicate, work and live.

For the past 30 years we have maintained an unwavering focus, rejecting shortcuts and easy opportunities that don't align with our core business. With a practical approach to everything we do, we concentrate our efforts and invest patiently to drive technological breakthroughs.

This strategic focus is a reflection of our core values:

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Huawei Research and Development UK Limited Overview. Huawei’s vision is a fully connected, intelligent world. To achieve this, we work to inspire passion for basic research around the world. Our combined passion drives development across the global innovation value chain. Huawei has the largest Research and Development organization in the world with 96,000+ employees in research centers around the globe. In the UK, we already have design centers in Cambridge, London, Edinburgh and Ipswich. We continue to explore and define new research directions and new services. We have expanded our collaborations with academic researchers; researched new network architectures, integration of communications and key enabling technologies; and developed the fundamental theories of these technologies. We invite you to join us on this exciting journey and drive your career forward.

Job Summary. The Principal Engineering Team Lead for Epitaxy will serve as the technical and operational leader for all InP epitaxial growth activities within the fab. This role combines deep subject‑matter expertise in InP‑based MOCVD epitaxy with leadership responsibility for a team of engineers, technicians, and operators. You will own process capability, tool performance, yield improvement, and technology roadmap execution for epitaxial structures supporting photonic, high‑speed electronic, and optoelectronic device platforms. This is a hands‑on, high‑impact role for someone who thrives at the intersection of advanced materials engineering, manufacturing excellence, and team leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of novel epitaxial processes and structures for III-V material systems in MOCVD in accordance with project deliverables and timelines.
• Manage the epitaxy area resources, creating & meeting budget forecasts for the area, and controlling the stock of key process materials & parts.
• Ensure on time delivery of epitaxy products and reduce quality issues.
• Perform hands-on maintenance tasks on the MOCVD reactors. This will require use of breathing apparatus.
• Mentor junior engineers & technicians, fostering expertise in epitaxial growth methods and maintenance of MOCVD systems.
• Manage and direct process improvement activities based on SPC, continuous yield analysis and 6-sigma principles. Lead structured process problem solving activities.
• Evaluate, select, and order equipment and consumables for the manufacture of company product.

This job description is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The jobholder will carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by his/her line manager. The job description and personal specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of Huawei Research and Development UK Limited.

Person Specification:

Required:

• MS/PhD degree in physics, chemistry, materials science or a comparable degree.
• 10+ years of InP MOCVD/MOVPE experience in a fab or R&D environment.
• Expert-level knowledge of MOCVD growth mechanisms, reactor operation, and III‑V material systems.
• Strong understanding of photonics and optoelectronic device applications.
• Hands-on experience of MOCVD reactor planned maintenance & troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with industry standards and best practices in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Statistical data analysis skills and experience with large data sets.
• Strong communication & leadership abilities.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).

Desired:

• PhD in a relevant field.
• Hands-on experience with metrology tools such as XRD, PL, SEM, SIMS, ECV etc.
• Experience with Aixtron MOCVD systems for InP.
• Experience in WIP / MES / or similar semi-fab software tools.

What we offer:

• 33 days annual leave entitlement per year (including UK public holidays).
• Group Personal Pension.
• Life insurance.
• Private medical insurance.
• Medical expense claim scheme.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Company sports club and social events.
• Additional time off for learning and development.