Senior Epitaxy Hardware Manager

Level: Experienced,

Job Location:

Kaiser Dr Office - Fremont, CA 94555, Salary Range: $ - $ Salary/year.

KYOCERA SLD Laser, Inc. (KSLD) is a global leader in the commercialization of gallium nitride (GaN) based laser light sources. As a wholly owned subsidiary of KYOCERA Corporation, KSLD combines advanced laser innovation with the strength, scale, and manufacturing excellence of a global technology leader.

KSLD develops and manufactures high performance Laser Light™ solutions engineered to deliver exceptional brightness, efficiency, and reliability. Our GaN laser technologies enable a wide range of applications, including automotive and mobility, specialty and portable lighting, projection and AR/VR displays, biomedical instrumentation, industrial imaging, and emerging communication technologies such as LiFi. With vertically integrated capabilities and deep technical expertise, KSLD collaborates closely with customers to deliver application specific laser solutions, accelerating development timelines from concept through production.

The company operates advanced R&D and manufacturing facilities in Santa Barbara, CA and Fremont, CA, supporting both innovation and high volume manufacturing needs.

KSLD is ISO 9001 certified and IATF 16949 compliant for automotive applications, and its products meet rigorous UL and IEC safety standards, reflecting a strong commitment to quality, safety, and reliability.

Recognized by Fortune magazine’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production™, KSLD fosters an employee centric culture built on collaboration, technical excellence, and continuous innovation. Guided by a mission to engineer the future of light, KSLD develops laser based solutions that power next generation mobility, consumer, specialty lighting, and industrial technologies.

KSLD will continue to pioneer the future of light by developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative laser based products with high efficiency and luminance for mobility, specialty lighting, consumer, and industrial applications.

To learn more about KSLD, visit  or contact the company at  or .

KYOCERA SLD Laser is seeking a Senior Epitaxy Hardware Manager to lead MOCVD reactor hardware and all supporting epitaxy equipment at our Fremont, CA site. This role owns equipment uptime, preventive maintenance strategy, consumables and critical spares management, and the technical development of the equipment engineering and technician team supporting GaN-based laser diode production and development.

• Own MOCVD reactor hardware performance across all Fremont reactors: uptime, PM cadence, post-PM qualification, and excursion recovery.
• Own supporting epitaxy hardware including abatement systems, bake/oven equipment, gas delivery systems (VMB, gas cabinets, MFCs, purifiers), vacuum and exhaust systems, and chillers.
• Own epitaxy metrology hardware (XRD, AFM, PL, reflectance/in-situ optics, microscopy) — tool availability, calibration, and preventive maintenance.
• Maintain hardware consumable and critical parts management for reactors and other key epitaxy equipment: min/max spares levels, lead-time tracking, refurbishment cycles, and obsolescence planning.
• Build and strengthen PM SOPs and maintenance schedules; standardize documentation, qualification criteria, and PM execution records.
• Manage equipment engineers and technicians — hiring, training, shift coverage, performance development, and succession depth.
• Provide hands‑on troubleshooting leadership; diagnose electrical and mechanical faults on reactors and support equipment down to the component level.
• Partner with process development and process engineering to root‑cause hardware-driven excursions (MO run/vent, heater, flow, leak,…