Senior Field Supervisor - Ramp Manager

Company Overview
KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays.

The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world's leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow's electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems.

There is never a dull moment with us.

Group/Division
The KLA Services team headquartered in Milpitas, CA is our service organization that consists of Service Sales and Marketing, Spares Supply Chain management, Field Operations, Engineering, Product Training, and Technical Support. The KLA Services organization partners with our field teams and customers in all business sectors to maintain the high performance and productivity of our products through a flexible portfolio of services.

Our comprehensive services include: proactive management of tools to identify and improve performance; expertise in optics, image processing and motion control with worldwide service engineers, 24/7 technical support teams and knowledge management systems; and an extensive parts network to ensure worldwide availability of parts.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

Key Responsibilities

Lead Customer Ramp Programs

• Own end-to-end planning and execution of customer ramp initiatives, including new tool deployments, manufacturing expansions, relocations, conversions, and qualification activities.
• Develop and maintain ramp plans, schedules, milestones, and readiness reviews.
• Coordinate activities across Operations, Service, Applications, Installation Management, Supply Chain, Sales, and Customer organizations.
• Drive issue resolution and risk mitigation to maintain schedule and production commitments.

Drive Operational Readiness

• Lead installation and qualification readiness planning for customer sites.
• Partner with Installation Managers to ensure resources, site readiness, and schedules are aligned for successful execution.
• Monitor progress against plan and implement recovery actions when required.
• Support customer production readiness through proactive planning and execution management.

Manage Customer Communications

• Serve as a key operational interface between KLA and customer leadership teams.
• Lead operational reviews, working groups, ramp governance meetings, and executive updates.
• Deliver concise, executive-level communications regarding ramp progress, resource needs, risks, escalation items, and recovery plans.
• Ensure alignment between customer expectations and business deliverables.

Resource & Capacity Planning

• Forecast staffing and support requirements needed to meet customer demand.
• Coordinate resources across global service, installation, and applications teams.
• Identify resource gaps and drive mitigation actions.
• Facilitate cross-regional collaboration to optimize execution and capacity utilization.

Escalation & Risk Management

• Lead resolution of high-impact customer and operational issues.
• Drive structured escalation management processes across multiple organizations.
• Ensure leadership visibility to critical issues and recovery status.
• Track and report program risks, dependencies, and mitigation actions.

Operational Excellence

• Monitor key operational performance indicators related to ramp execution.
• Drive accountability for action-item closure and continuous improvement.
• Implement and share best-known methods (BKMs) and operational best practices.
• Support process improvements that improve cycle time, customer satisfaction, and execution quality.

Key Competencies

• Program & Project Management
• Executive Communication
• Customer Relationship Management
• Strategic Planning & Forecasting
• Operational Excellence
• Resource Planning
• Escalation Management
• Risk Assessment & Mitigation
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Change Management
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Continuous Improvement

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Achievement of customer production ramp milestones.
• Installation and qualification performance versus plan.
• Forecast and capacity planning accuracy.
• Reduction of schedule delays and escalations.
• Customer satisfaction and stakeholder alignment.
• Effective communication of risks, issues, and recovery plans.
• Delivery of operational improvements that enhance execution quality and cycle time.

Why Join KLA?

This role provides a unique opportunity to lead some of the industry's most critical…