Are you looking to power the next leap in the exciting world of advanced electronics? Do you want to help solve problems that drive success in the rapidly evolving technology and connectivity landscape? Then bring your problem-solving, passion, and creativity to help us power the next leap in electronics.
At Qnity, we’re more than a global leader in materials and solutions for advanced electronics and high-tech industries – we’re a tight-knit team that is motivated by new possibilities, and always up for a challenge. All our dedicated teams contribute to making cutting-edge technology possible. We value forward-thinking challengers, boundary-pushers, and diverse perspectives across all our departments, because we know we play a critical role in the world enabling faster progress for all. Learn how you can start or jumpstart your career with us.
Position Summary
The R&D team is seeking a scientist or engineer to develop as a hands-on technical contributor and future technical leader supporting next-generation CMP consumables and processes.
This position combines rigorous scientific investigation, cleanroom and polishing experimentation, mechanical design and fixture development, materials and surface characterization, data analysis, and practical problem solving to develop a deeper understanding of CMP mechanisms and performance.
A key objective of this role is to translate physical understanding into practical decisions. The successful candidate will work directly with laboratory and cleanroom equipment, build or modify fixtures and experimental systems, handle samples, run tests, troubleshoot unexpected behavior, analyze data, and validate conclusions against physical observations and process results. Experience with coding, data analytics, and automation is valuable when it improves experimental execution, data quality, workflow efficiency, or technical insight.
The successful candidate will independently lead fundamental studies supporting both internal technology development and external customer needs while developing expertise in tribology, advanced process characterization, experimental methods, and CMP science. In addition to experimental work, the individual will own and advance data analysis, automation, and digital workflow capabilities that improve the efficiency, quality, and scalability of research and development activities.
This role is intended to develop a long-term CMP technical expert who will progressively take ownership of increasingly complex technical problems, experimental platforms, and capability-development efforts. We are looking for someone who is motivated not only by solving individual projects, but also by building deep technical expertise and durable organizational capabilities over time.
Key Responsibilities
Hands-on CMP Process, Tool & Cleanroom Ownership
- Plan and execute experiments, including wafer polishing, consumable installation and qualification, recipe development, process monitoring, sampling, and post-polish analysis.
- Work directly in laboratory and cleanroom environments and become capable of independently operating, troubleshooting, maintaining, and improving assigned research tools and experimental platforms.
- Take end-to-end ownership of experimental work, from defining the question and preparing materials through tool setup, safe execution, data quality review, analysis, documentation, and recommendation.
- Develop a practical understanding of metrology and sources of process variability.
- Identify equipment or measurement limitations and design fixtures, test methods, tool modifications, or new experimental approaches to close capability gaps.
- Partner effectively with technicians, applications engineers, equipment owners, vendors, and cleanroom personnel while remaining personally engaged in the technical work.
Experimental Method, Fixture & Capability Development
- Design experiments and DOE plans that isolate key variables while recognizing practical tool, material, schedule, and sample constraints.
- Design and build test equipment, fixtures, prototypes, or modifications using mechanical design, CAD, machining, rapid prototyping, sensors, data acquisition, or laboratory automation as appropriate.
- Commission new experimental capabilities, establish safe operating procedures, define maintenance and calibration needs, and train additional users.
- Troubleshoot unexpected experimental behavior systematically and distinguish measurement artifacts, equipment issues, material variability, and true physical effects.
- Translate promising research methods into reliable, user-ready capabilities that can be sustained by the broader organization.
- Develop and maintain data-analysis workflows, automation tools, and digital processes that improve research efficiency, data quality, and organizational knowledge.
Tribology, Wear & Surface/Material Characterization
- Design and conduct tribological and mechanical tests
- Apply surface and materials characterization
- Create repeatable test methods, data-quality checks, calibration practices
Technical Leadership, Collaboration & Growth
- Own and define technical problem statements supporting product development, process improvement, customer needs, and long-term CMP capability development.
- Balance technical rigor with speed by identifying the minimum experiment, measurement, or test needed for a defensible decision and clearly communicating limitations and uncertainty.
- Communicate findings through clear technical reports, presentations, customer interactions, patents, publications, and decision-ready recommendations.
- Share knowledge openly and contribute to a collaborative growth mindset.
- Build durable internal and external collaborations while progressively developing into a recognized technical expert and capability owner.
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related discipline, including a new Ph.D. graduate; or a master's degree in a related discipline with equivalent relevant research, laboratory, or industry experience.
- Less than 5 years of relevant industry experience. Relevant graduate research, laboratory, cleanroom, process-development, or tool-development experience may be considered in place of industry experience.
- Required hands-on experience in at least one of the following: (a) semiconductor, cleanroom, polishing, or process-tool work; or (b) designing, building, modifying, commissioning, or troubleshooting fixtures, test equipment, prototypes, or experimental systems. Experience in both areas is strongly preferred.
- Willingness and demonstrated interest to learn tribology. Prior tribology or wear experience is preferred but is not required.
- Ability and willingness to work directly and routinely in laboratory and cleanroom environments, operate equipment, run polishing or process experiments, handle samples, troubleshoot tools, and develop ownership of assigned experimental platforms.
- Experience with quantitative data analysis, DOE, root-cause analysis, and technical documentation.
- Working knowledge of coding, data-analysis, or laboratory-automation tools such as MATLAB, Python, R, LabVIEW, JMP, JSL, C/C++, ImageJ, or similar environments is valued, particularly when applied to experiment control, data processing, visualization, or workflow improvement.
- Comfort learning across experimentation, characterization, process execution, mechanical design, data analysis, and tribology rather than remaining only in one technical mode.
- Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and technical communication skills with multidisciplinary teams.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience in a semiconductor cleanroom or with is preferred.
- Experience owning a semiconductor process module or research tool, including qualification, troubleshooting, preventive care, vendor interaction, and transfer of methods to other users or sites.
- Tribometer design, manufacturing, modification, commissioning, or operation; friction and wear measurement
- Hands-on use or modification of characterization or metrology tools
- Demonstrated hands-on experience taking a fixture or test-equipment concept from design through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, troubleshooting, and repeated experimental use
- Hands-on experience with SolidWorks, Siemens NX, AutoCAD, or similar CAD and engineering design platforms.
- Experience developing MATLAB, Python, C/C++, LabVIEW, ImageJ, JMP/JSL, or similar scripts, tools, automation, or analysis of workflows.
- Demonstrated technical innovation through new methods, fixtures, tools, patents, publications, process improvements, product development, or transfer to manufacturing or customer use.
What Success Looks Like
- Builds credibility through direct engagement with the tools, samples, experiments, and data.
- Uses coding, automation, and data analysis where useful, while keeping experiments, tools, samples, and physical validation at the center of the work.
- Takes ownership of ambiguous problems, learns unfamiliar technical areas, and develops practical capabilities that others can use.
- Independently leads technical studies and delivers actionable insights for internal technology programs and external customer projects.
- Grows over time into a long-term expert, trusted collaborator, mentor, and owner of critical technical platforms.
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Qnity is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.
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