Senior Operator - Semiconductor

About this position

At the forefront of Europe's photonics innovation, TNO is building a state-of-the-art pilot line for Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic chips at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. As part of the EU-funded PIXEurope program, this pilot line will enable the transition from groundbreaking research to large-scale industrial manufacturing, making advanced photonic technologies faster, more reliable, and widely accessible.

As a Senior Operator, you are responsible for operating, monitoring, and optimizing complex manufacturing equipment within a high-tech cleanroom environment. You ensure that production processes run safely, efficiently, and according to the highest quality standards. Working closely with process engineers, equipment engineers, and fellow operators, you contribute to reliable wafer manufacturing while actively supporting continuous improvement initiatives. Beyond your operational responsibilities, you serve as a technical role model within the team, coach less experienced colleagues, help resolve complex production issues, and contribute to the successful implementation of new processes and equipment.

• Independently operating advanced production equipment across multiple process areas, including lithography, etching, metrology, and related manufacturing clusters.
• Executing both standard production runs and more complex process flows, including the handling of non-standard wafers.
• Performing visual inspections, identifying process deviations, and assessing rework possibilities where required.
• Monitoring process performance, accurately documenting production data, and reporting deviations.
• Working in accordance with cleanroom procedures, safety regulations, and quality standards.
• Supporting process improvement initiatives by contributing to activities such as SPC, FMEA, and root cause analyses.
• Troubleshooting first-line equipment and process issues while supporting engineers during more complex investigations.
• Performing basic preventive maintenance and assisting with equipment qualification activities.
• Executing test runs and experimental process assignments for process engineers.
• Evaluating and improving operational procedures to increase process stability, quality, and efficiency.
• Coaching and mentoring junior operators, supporting onboarding activities, and acting as a technical point of contact within the operations team.
• Collaborating closely with process engineers, equipment engineers, and shift leads to ensure smooth and reliable production.

As part of your onboarding, you will participate in a training program at SMART Photonics, where you will spend approximately six months becoming familiar with the manufacturing processes, equipment, and operational standards used. An interview with SMART Photonics will be part of the recruitment process. During your training period, you will work closely with both SMART Photonics and TNO colleagues. Although your day-to-day training will primarily take place at SMART Photonics in the beginning, you will regularly attend meetings, knowledge-sharing sessions, and team gatherings at TNO's location in Eindhoven.

This ensures you become fully integrated into the TNO organization, build strong relationships with your TNO colleagues, and stay closely connected to the development of the pilot line throughout your training period. Following your training, you will join TNO's pilot line at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. While the pilot line does not yet operate in a 5-shift schedule from the start, it is expected to transition towards continuous operations as manufacturing activities scale up.

We therefore ask candidates to be flexible and willing to work in a 5-shift schedule in the future.

You are an experienced semiconductor or high-tech manufacturing professional who enjoys working in a precision-driven cleanroom environment. You combine technical expertise with a proactive mindset and take ownership of your work. You are comfortable handling complex production situations, enjoy solving problems, and naturally support colleagues by sharing your…