Senior Applications Engineer

We are excited to announce an opportunity for a Senior Applications Engineer to join our dynamic team in Severn Beach, Bristol, on a permanent basis. This is a key role within the Plasma New Product Solutions team, offering you the chance to make a significant impact. You will focus on developing cutting-edge processes in CVD, PECVD, and ALD, especially in the realm of 2D films, driving the performance of both existing and innovative technologies to new heights. In addition, you will play a key role in enhancing customer satisfaction by providing expert pre-sale and post-sale application support.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out process development on designated projects, liaising with process engineering, project management and technology staff to ensure completion of the projects to timescale, or recommendation for hardware improvements to improve tool performance.
• Provide project reports and updates for the project team and customers.
• Present a summary of project work, results and notes on technique for other process engineers.
• Actively contribute to patent filings.
• Carry out research and networking with the wider technical community to ensure our plasma products are at the leading edge of development, where appropriate being the process/applications champion within OIPT.
• This may involve giving presentations at exhibitions and conferences, and developing strong collaborative links with academic institutions and customers and carrying out voice of the customer interviews.
• Where relevant, contribute to process and technology roadmaps.
• Liaise with customers, Product managers and the sales teams, and extract information on product performance requirements in order to produce satisfactory samples and validate hardware specifications.
• Assist with processing and demonstration of customer samples, reporting the findings concisely and accurately.
• Where necessary, provide technical process expertise for generating marketing literature and supporting conferences.
• Develop an excellent working knowledge of the technology to facilitate fault finding and root cause analysis on processing results or equipment performance to deliver optimised processes and hardware performance.
• Assist Customer support teams with 8D activities and field support teams with acceptance activities as required.
• Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with the Company’s Health and Safety and ISO9001 Quality procedures.
• Demonstrate a good awareness of the demands associated with handling hazardous materials and manage the risks appropriately.
• Challenge and improve existing working practices within the laboratory to ensure we offer a safe, professional, best-in-class service to our customers.
• Where necessary, identify equipment purchases or upgrades.

Education / Qualifications

• A relevant science or engineering degree.
• A background in chemistry or Chemical engineering would be an advantage.
• Ideally, a minimum of 2 years of experience in the semiconductor industry or relevant experience in an academic institution.
• Exposure to PECVD, CVD or ALD or ICP etch processes.

Professional Skills / Abilities:

• Thin film measuring skills (e.g. SEMs, ellipsometry etc.)
• Specialisation in at least one of the following areas: Fabrication and characterisation of 2D films, ALD, PECVD, CVD.
• If none of these, must be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of either plasma based deposition or etch.

Personal Qualities:

• Self-starting, diligent and enthusiastic.
• A professional approach to working independently and managing your own time.
• Highly innovative and good lateral thinking skills for identifying opportunities for technology development applications.
• Focused on excellent customer service.
• Good diagnostic skills and problem solving abilities.
• Positive and enthusiastic attitude to technical challenges, and flexibility to cope effectively with changes to specifications or priorities.
• Team player who makes the best use of the contributions that can be made by others, and has the ability to work constructively with others.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Able to articulate, present and report on technical or complex issues clearly and succinctly.

At Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology, we provide tools for the engineering of micro- and nano-structures, with customers using our process solutions to research and produce materials and semiconductors vital for everything from medical devices and diagnostics, to electric cars and quantum computers. In addition to a competitive starting salary, structured career development opportunities, and a good work-life balance, Oxford Instruments offers 25 days annual leave, early finish on Fridays, private healthcare, a share incentive plan, a defined contribution Group Personal Pension Plan, and a flexible benefits package that you can tailor to your own requirements.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and would ask you to get in touch if you are concerned about any barriers you feel you may be facing in your application process with us.