Principal Plating Engineer

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Profile Summary

Leads complex projects, and provides technical guidance, innovation, design, and expertise to enhance the institution's engineering solutions and infrastructure. May provide instruction/teaching.

Job Description

The Advanced Electronics and Photonics Core Facility seeks a qualified candidate for a Principal Plating Engineer position. The candidate will mainly be focused on electroplating processing and will be expected to assist or provide backup to other areas. Primary areas of responsibility will include electroplating process development on our forthcoming 300mm wafer plating system as well as ownership of associated chemical metrology systems. As part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will interact with individuals responsible for areas such as device physics, deposition, etching, photolithography, and electrical test to ensure robust electroplating processes that meet the precise physical and electrical requirements for our customers.

As part of the AEP Core operations team, you will maintain the electroplating process area by supporting operations and increasing equipment up time, responding to production issues, implementing solutions, reducing costs, and improving yields. In this position, you will support existing processes, develop new processes, identify process and material improvements, and develop intellectual property. You will also use statistical process controls and data analysis to support and monitor the performance of the equipment.

Customer service is an integral part of the Principal Plating Engineer position. The candidate will be interacting directly with a wide variety of students, faculty, and other professionals to provide services as requested. Skill in communicating technical ideas in a positive and patient manner is a must.

Position Salary Range

• $135,000 - $175,000 per year; DOE


• Maintain electroplating equipment by supporting operations, increasing equipment up time, responding to production issues, keeping the equipment under statistical control, and reducing costs.


• Assist students, faculty, and other professionals with service requests


• Recommend, scope, and assist in the procurement and installation of future equipment into the Core.


• Cross-train in other areas to provide backup and assistance as needed.


• Write procedures to help students and other users safely use the equipment.


• Provide supervision and guidance to the users of the Core.


• Provide supervision to junior engineers.


• Regular activities include ability to quickly change priorities which may include and/or are subject to resolution of conflicts.


• Ability to clearly communicate and exchange accurate information to perform essential duties.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering or related field and seven (7) years of engineering or related experience including responsibility for tool and process requirements; OR, any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.


• Preferred:


• MS in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Physics or related discipline


• Demonstrated understanding of the operation and maintenance of electroplating processing equipment


• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills


• Computer knowledge used for documentation and analysis.


• Demonstrated strong mechanical aptitude and experience with statistical software packages such as JMP or Minitab.


• Demonstrated experience with active matrix TFT processing and amorphous-silicon processes.


• Demonstrated experience with semiconductor advanced packaging processing.


• Experience with many disciplines including etching, deposition, cleaning, and other thin film processing.


• Equipment maintenance experience.

Department Statement

Each year since 2016, ASU has been named the most innovative school in the nation, recognizing the university's culture of groundbreaking research and partnerships, as well as its commitment to helping students thrive in college and beyond. U.S. News and World Report has named ASU as the most innovative university all eleven years the category has existed.

ASU Statement

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions inclusive excellence, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

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ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the background check.

A fingerprint check is not required for this position.

About Arizona State University

Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the country’s most innovative school, Arizona State University is where students and faculty work with NASA to develop, advance and lead innovations in space exploration.