Equipment Tech Lead - Films

Equipment Tech Lead - Films

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Plymouth

The Equipment Technical Lead is responsible for providing technical leadership, ownership, and continuous improvement of critical manufacturing equipment within a high-performance production environment. This role ensures tool reliability, process stability, and equipment readiness while driving improvements in uptime, safety, and performance. The position partners closely with Process Engineering, Manufacturing, Facilities, and R&D teams to support production scaling and new technology introduction.

• Serve as the module’s technical authority for thin-film equipment technologies, setting standards for performance, reliability, and continuous improvement, while acting as a trusted subject matter expert and the recognised “go-to” resource for equipment-related technical leadership and guidance.
• Act as the primary technical escalation point for tool owners, ensuring timely and effective resolution of complex issues.
• Partner with module tool owners to identify, prioritise, and deliver equipment improvements that enhance stability, capability, and productivity.
• Provide critical technical review of programme requirements, ensuring feasibility, robustness, and alignment with operational strategy.
• Review and challenge tool owner CAPEX proposals and peer-review continuous improvement plans to ensure strong technical justification and business value.
• Champion and drive continuous improvement initiatives across the module to improve uptime, yield, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with the Process Technical Lead on structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Work collaboratively with customers and stakeholders on project delivery, tool stability, and performance optimisation initiatives.
• Lead and support change management activities, including DCNs, ECNs, PCNs, process flows, PFMEAs, and control plans, ensuring technical integrity and compliance.
• Prepare and deliver clear, data-driven technical presentations to management and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and technical development support to Tool Owners, fostering capability growth within the team.
• Define and align priorities for Engineers and Technicians, ensuring objectives are clear, measurable, and delivered effectively.
• Collaborate across engineering functions to drive alignment, knowledge sharing, and best-practice adoption.
• Contribute to objective setting and performance development for on-shift Equipment Engineers.

• 7+ years experience in equipment engineering, maintenance leadership, or technical ownership within a thin-film manufacturing environment.
• Strong hands‑on background supporting film-related tools such as PVD, CVD, ALD, sputtering, evaporation, or similar deposition systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading tool reliability, uptime improvement, and performance optimisation initiatives.
• Experience driving preventive maintenance strategy, tool stability improvements, and lifecycle management.
• Experience supporting tool installations, qualifications, upgrades, and process transfers in a production environment.
• Strong understanding of how equipment performance impacts film quality, uniformity, yield, and overall module performance.
• Experience working in high-growth, fast‑paced manufacturing environments is highly desirable.
• Strong technical leadership with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• High ownership mindset with accountability for equipment performance and module success.
• Effective communicator, able to engage confidently with engineers, technicians, management, and external partners.

• Pension scheme
• Private medical & dental insurance
• 28 days’ holiday + bank holidays
• Free onsite meals
• Onsite gym
• Relocation support
• Visa support available