VICE PRESIDENT, FABRICATION ENGINEERING

VICE PRESIDENT, FABRICATION ENGINEERING San Diego / Riverside, CA Salary:

• $190,000 - $260,000 DOE THE OPPORTUNITY Our client is a fast-scaling semiconductor manufacturer working at the leading edge of silicon photonics and advanced optical device integration.
• As the company moves from development-stage production into stable, profitable high-volume manufacturing (HVM), it is searching for a Vice President of Fabrication Engineering to own both the technical vision and the day-to-day execution of its wafer fab.
• This is a top-tier executive seat with full accountability for every engineering discipline on the floor, process, process integration, equipment and maintenance, and yield enhancement.
• You will translate the product roadmap into fab capability, steward significant capital and operating budgets, drive technology transfers out of R&D, and build an engineering culture grounded in data, discipline, and continuous improvement.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN Technical Strategy & Roadmap:

• Set and execute the long-range engineering roadmap for the fab, keeping technical capability tightly aligned with product plans, commercial commitments, and company growth targets.

Operational Performance:

• Carry ultimate accountability for the fab's core metrics — baseline wafer yield, cycle time, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), and cost per wafer — and hold the organization to them.

A Unified Engineering Org:

• Bring process, integration, equipment, and yield teams under one direction, breaking down silos to speed new product introductions (NPI) and ensure clean, repeatable technology transfers.

Capital & Capacity Planning:

• Lead the fab's CapEx strategy — multi-million-dollar tool buys, facility and cleanroom expansion, floor-space optimization, and forward capacity planning to meet demand.

Supplier & Partner Strategy:

• Own executive-level relationships and negotiations with equipment OEMs, chemical and materials suppliers, and external foundry partners.

Quality & Continuity:

• Stand up and enforce robust quality systems (including automotive- or aerospace-grade standards where relevant) and lead the fab's response to technical excursions and supply risks to protect 24/7 continuity.

Cost & Budget Discipline:

• Build and manage the annual operating budget for fab engineering, finding structural cost-reduction opportunities that never come at the expense of yield or quality.

Leadership & Talent:

• Recruit, mentor, and scale a world-class engineering leadership bench; drive succession planning, workforce development, and a culture centered on safety and accountability.
• WHO YOU'LL LEAD Provide executive direction to a senior team, including the Directors of Process Engineering, Process Integration, and Equipment Engineering.
• Own organizational design, headcount planning, and talent allocation across the full fab engineering ecosystem.
• Set top-down goals, build performance-tracking frameworks, and coach department heads toward them.

WHAT YOU BRING Executive Presence:

• You can distill dense technical data into clear strategic direction for the board, CEO, customers, and investors.

HVM Fab Mastery:

• Proven command of high-volume semiconductor manufacturing, with real depth in silicon photonics, MEMS, or advanced CMOS nodes.

Business Acumen:

• Strong hand with large budgets, capital-equipment ROI, and cost-of-goods (COGS) reduction.

Cross-Functional Leadership:

• You build alignment and navigate competing priorities across Operations, R&D, Finance, Supply Chain, and Commercial.

Change Leadership:

• A track record of steering large technical organizations through rapid scaling and structural change.

REQUIREMENTS Education:

• Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.

Industry Experience:

• 15+ years of progressive semiconductor manufacturing experience, with a working command of both front-end (FEOL) and back-end (BEOL) processing.

Leadership Experience:

• 7+ years in a senior director or executive role (e.g., Director of Fab Operations, Director of Integration or Process, or VP) leading multi-disciplinary engineering teams in a 24/7 manufacturing setting.

Track Record:

• Demonstrated success scaling a fab from low-volume R&D or prototyping into stable, profitable high-volume manufacturing.
• NICE TO HAVE PhD in a relevant engineering field with published work in semiconductor or photonics technology.
• Hands-on experience with silicon photonics integration or advanced optical communication device manufacturing.
• Certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma executive leadership, or advanced project management (PMP).
• WORK ENVIRONMENT & TRAVEL Time is split across an executive office, boardrooms, and the cleanroom floor.
• Periodic fab walkthroughs require full cleanroom PPE (bunny suit).
• Up to 25% travel for vendor evaluations, customer executive reviews, and industry conferences.
• ELIGIBILITY This role is based at a facility governed by U.S. export-control (ITAR) requirements.
• All applicants must qualify as a "U.S. person" under ITAR — a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (green-card holder), asylee, or refugee.
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