Equipment Engineering Manager

The Company

Halo Industries has developed breakthrough technology to revolutionize a decades-old semiconductor material slicing process. Our laser-based solution minimizes waste, enhances material cost efficiency, and drives innovations across high-growth markets, including automotive, telecommunications, and power electronics. Founded in 2014 at Stanford University, Halo received significant funding in 2024, paving the way for rapid expansion, strategic customer engagement, and the launch of volume manufacturing.

The Opportunity

The Equipment Engineering Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the Equipment Engineering organization supporting semiconductor manufacturing operations. This position is responsible for maximizing equipment reliability, availability, and performance while leading engineering teams that support production, process development, factory expansion, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The manager is accountable for equipment lifecycle management, capital equipment projects, preventive and predictive maintenance programs, equipment qualifications, engineering resource planning, technical problem solving, and driving operational excellence. The role works cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Process Engineering, Facilities, Quality, Supply Chain, New Product Introduction (NPI), and Executive Leadership to ensure manufacturing objectives are achieved safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

Primary Responsibilities

Leadership & Organization

• Lead and develop Equipment Engineers, Senior Equipment Engineers, Equipment Technicians, and Engineering Specialists.
• Establish department vision, annual objectives, and performance metrics aligned with business goals.
• Build a high-performance engineering organization through coaching, mentoring, technical development, and succession planning.
• Conduct hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, disciplinary actions, and career development.
• Establish engineering standards, procedures, and best practices.
• Develop technical competency matrices and training programs.

Equipment Reliability & Maintenance

• Develop strategies that maximize equipment availability and manufacturing throughput.

Responsibilities include:

• Preventive Maintenance (PM)
• Predictive Maintenance (PdM)
• Corrective Maintenance (CM)
• Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)

• Drive improvements in: Equipment Availability, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), Mean Time To Repair (MTTR), Maintenance Compliance, and Equipment Utilization
• Lead structured Root Cause Analysis using: 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone (Ishikawa), FMEA and Pareto Analysis

Manufacturing Support

• Ensure equipment readiness to support production schedules.
• Prioritize engineering resources based on factory needs.
• Support 24/7 manufacturing operations.
• Respond to critical equipment failures and production escalations.
• Coordinate engineering coverage across multiple shifts.
• Manage engineering on-call support.

Equipment Qualification & Validation

• Lead qualification of new and modified manufacturing equipment including: Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) , Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), Performance Qualification (PQ), Process Qualification, and Production Release
• Ensure equipment meets: Process capability requirements, Customer specifications, and Safety requirements

Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence initiatives including: Downtime Reduction, Throughput, Cycle Time, Yield, Scrap Reduction, Cost of Ownership, PM Optimization, and Spare Parts Optimization

Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years of semiconductor manufacturing equipment engineering experience.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership or people management experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience supporting high-volume semiconductor manufacturing.
• Experience with equipment including: CMP, Wet Bench, Wafer Grinding, Edge Grinding, Wafer Cleaning, Metrology. Optical Inspection Tools, Surface Preparation Equipment, and Automation Systems

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Free Food & Snacks
• Stock Option Plan
• Annual Bonus Plan eligible
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Base Salary: $160,000 - $185,000

Additional Information

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all team members feel valued and supported. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented communities in STEM. If you meet most of the qualifications and are excited about this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.