R&D Process Engineer - Wafer Wet Process Engineer
Keysight · Santa Rosa, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Process
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level process role at Keysight (industrial) in Santa Rosa, CA.
- They ask for
- 5+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, SPC, DOE
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Process Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $120k–$171k.
Median of the low and high ends of 59 live postings that list pay, out of 94 process engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 93 other live process postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $120k–$171k, from 57 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 46%
- ✓ DOE 31%
- ✓ SPC 29%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 22%
- ✓ New product launch 22%
- Team leadership 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at Keysight
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Keysight in Santa Rosa
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Full description from KeysightAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
The Process Engineer will own process development and process control to meet quality and production metrics.
Responsibilities
include a combination of R&D and manufacturing in partnership with Design, Integration, Test, Operations, Maintenance, Product and Failure Analysis teams. The Process Engineer is accountable for yield, cycle time, throughput, and quality of their process. This role involves technical depth in semiconductor processing, strong hands-on aptitude, as well as effective communication and teamwork to meet department-level objectives. Description Process Development Engineers at HFTC are responsible for process development and sustaining customized, cutting-edge, micro and nano-fabrication technologies. The focus of this position is process development, manufacturing sustainability, and R&D support for new product introductions, with specialization in wafer fab processes.
Responsibilities
include but are not limited to: Deep knowledge and expertise with wafer process development in one or more of the following areas in order of preference: Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP), Solvent Stripping, Wet Etch, Electroplating. Own and advance performance across wet processes, CMP, Wet Etch/Clean, Strip and Plating by driving quality, chamber health, defect reduction, yield improvement and overall process robustness through structured DOEs. Collaborate with equipment engineering on tool performance optimization, preventive‑maintenance strategies, throughput enhancements, and new tool installs or upgrades. Drive process control and stability through SPC charting, daily reviews, root‑cause analysis, and corrective actions using statistical tools (e.g., JMP). Working closely with other process integration, product, and circuit design engineers to define process and performance targets. Defining process flows, develop new processes and drive continuous process improvement (CPI) efforts to maximize product yield. Report process metrics, root cause investigations, and process change implementations at the department level. Ensuring successful process hand off to manufacturing partners. Working with Operations to implement robust process control and support production processes; diagnose and resolve process problems with urgency. Leading capital equipment acquisition projects that include tool evaluation, characterization, process development, and qualification. Broader experience in upstream and downstream processes and the ability to understand process interactions.
Qualifications
M.S. or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or related fields 5+ years of professional, hands-on experience as process engineer with development and/or maintaining semiconductor wet processes and equipment Knowledge of hardware systems to carry process steps, in the following order of preference: CMP, Solvent Stripping, Wet Etch, Electroplating, or similar wet processes Familiarity with systems handling chemicals, such as pumps, flow monitoring and control, filters, CMP-specific systems and chamber‑hardware configurations Strong problem‑solving skills for measurement anomalies and tool‑drift issues Experience with statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE) is required Academic experience will be considered in addition to industry experience if proven to attain the techniques of interest Experience with statistical process control (SPC) and design of experiments (DOE) is required Candidates must have strong problem-solving and analytical skills as well as excellent interpersonal and communication skills for cross-functional interactions Strong accountability, self-initiative and proactive attitude are required for success Candidates must be local or willing to relocate to Santa Rosa, CA This position requires access to certain goods, software, technology, or technical data subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations. Under these laws and regulations, U.S. persons (which includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees) working for Keysight can access export-controlled items without authorization from the U.S. government. For any individual who is not a U.S. person, Keysight may need authorization from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, or other appropriate federal agency before the individual can access export-controlled items. Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S., or protected individual, having authorization from the U.S. government for export-controlled items under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). About Keysight Keysight is on the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~15,000 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more about what we do. Our powerful, award-winning culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. Diversity, equity & inclusion are integral parts of our culture and drivers of innovation at Keysight. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers. This position is at our Headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA. At
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Overview The High Frequency Technology Center (HFTC) is seeking an R&D Process Engineer to develop, maintain and optimize manufacturing processes to fabricate passive interposer substrates for Keysight’s Heterogeneous Integration technology. This position is onsite at Keysight Headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA. Live in beautiful Sonoma County amongst vineyards, redwood forests, rivers, lakes and coastline while working on state-of-the-art advanced packaging technologies.
