Engr, Optical

Position: Engr, Optical 3

To make electronics, you need chips, wafers, transistors, reticles, and... To make these, you must see, test and manufacture them at scale—faster and better than ever before. That's where KLA comes in. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, you'll solve complex challenges, work alongside brilliant minds and help shape the future of technology.

Group/Division The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics.

KLA's Central Engineering organization is made up of nine Centers of Excellence (CoEs) spanning disciplines like automation, motion control, sensors, platform design, and packaging. Each CoE contributes not only technical deliverables but also deep expertise, best practices, and advanced tools that elevate both what we build—and how we build it.

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise. KLA is looking for an Optical Engineer in our Central Engineering Group in Ann Arbor. In this role you will develop, design, analyze and test complex optical sub-systems for the next generation of KLA tools! Successful candidates will be responsible for:

• Design, model and analyze complex optical systems to meet requirements within specified physical limits of precision optical instruments using software tools, including sequential and non-sequential ray tracing software (Zemax, CODEV, Light Tools, or equivalent).
• Perform stray-light analysis, polarization calculations, scatter modeling, physical-optics modeling (incl. diffraction, interference, scattering) and Fourier analysis.
• Design and/or specify high-precision optical components and modules, including lasers, LEDs, optical fibers, cameras, detectors, lens systems and acousto-optical devices.
• Build prototypes and align, optimize and verify performance of optical systems.
• Analyze data and perform root‑cause analysis.
• Trouble shoot and analyze sophisticated optical modules & systems.
• Support teams across product divisions within KLA.
• Work efficiently in multi‑functional teams to integrate optical system in industry‑leading KLA products.
• Collaborate with vendors to jointly develop high‑precision components.
• Guide the preparation of documentation of optical systems to transfer to manufacturing and field service.

Qualifications / Education

Desired

• Solid education in optical system design.
• Understanding of designing, tolerancing and testing of optical systems and modules.
• Deep knowledge of light sources, including plasma light sources, lasers and LEDs.
• Experience in assembly and alignment of optical systems.
• Data analysis skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Occasional travel for training and project support within the US and internationally is required (up to 10%).

Minimum Qualifications Doctorate (Academic) or work experience of 0 years , Master's Level Degree or work experience of 2 years , Bachelor's Level Degree or work experience of 3 years

About KLA

We provide advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, process solutions, and computational analytics that make electronics possible, tackling complex challenges. From electron and photon optics to…