Principal Applications Engineer – Mass Spectrometry - Milpitas, California, USA

Principal Applications Engineer – Mass Spectrometry - Milpitas, California, USA Principal Applications Scientist – Mass Spectrometry

The Principal Applications Scientist will report to the Director of Applications and work closely with cross-functional teams, including business development, marketing, sales, engineering, and product management. This role is responsible for leading the development of application-specific solutions for advanced mass spectrometry platforms. The successful candidate will play a key role in customer technical engagements within the semiconductor manufacturing industry, develop customer-facing technical content, contribute to product strategy and roadmaps, and support new product definition and introduction.

Develop deep operational knowledge of advanced mass spectrometry products and technologies.

Configure, calibrate, validate, and perform testing of analytical instrumentation.

Develop market-driven applications in collaboration with prospective customers and internal stakeholders.

Support product evaluations with semiconductor OEMs, device manufacturers, and research organizations.

Provide on-site installation, system setup, troubleshooting, and performance analysis.

Identify application-specific technical requirements early in the customer engagement process.

Develop tailored hardware and software solution packages to address customer-specific application needs.

Create technical support plans and execution timelines for strategic customer engagements.

Build and maintain strong customer relationships through technical expertise and consultative engagement.

Identify new application opportunities and prepare internal or customer-facing technical proposals.

Deliver technical presentations, product demonstrations, and pre-sales support to customers.

Develop and deliver operational training for hardware and software solutions.

Acquire and analyze customer samples, generate technical reports, and support business development efforts through data-driven recommendations.

Contribute to next-generation product planning and technology roadmaps.

Support product development by translating system requirements into component-level performance specifications and participating in design and development reviews.

Master's degree with 6+ years of industry experience, or Ph.D. with 2+ years of industry experience, in Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field.

5+ years of hands-on experience developing mass spectrometry-based solutions for advanced analytical applications.

Experience with analytical instrumentation such as mass spectrometers, gas analyzers, plasma diagnostic systems, or comparable technologies.

Familiarity with semiconductor manufacturing processes, including etch, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or related fabrication technologies.

Strong understanding of new product introduction (NPI), including product requirements definition, prototype evaluation, system integration, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.

Proven success delivering customer-facing technical presentations, product demonstrations, and pre-sales technical support.

Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Experience with industrial control hardware (e.g., PLCs) and scripting or programming languages such as Python, LabVIEW, or similar tools is preferred.

Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 30%.

Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with a systems-level approach.

Ability to diagnose and resolve complex hardware and software integration issues.

Experience working collaboratively across engineering, product management, and commercial teams.

Customer-focused mindset with the ability to translate technical capabilities into practical business solutions.

Self-motivated and comfortable working in fast-paced, innovative, or early-stage environments.

Collaborative team player with strong relationship-building skills.

Excellent organizational, project management, and communication capabilities.

Ability to manage multiple priorities while…