Director, Software Engineering

Director, Software Engineering

Position Overview 

We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead Hardware System Integration, Handler, Test Engineering, and Portfolio Engineering for semiconductor test platforms supporting SLT, Burn-In, HPC, and ATE. 

The role leads global teams responsible for equipment-control software, material handling integration, test engineering, factory interfaces, production data, and shared software capabilities. 

This position is expected to be highly technical and hands-on with software and hardware, with approximately 50% of time spent directly coding, debugging, and solving complex technical issues across the semiconductor test ecosystem. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Translate engineering strategy into engineering plans, technical milestones, resource plans, and delivery schedules. 

• Lead software managers, technical leads, developers, and test engineers across Thermal, System Integration, Handler, Test, and Portfolio Engineering. 

• Drive execution across multiple products and customer programs and ensure teams deliver committed milestones. 

• Align software development, integration, validation, and release schedules with SW Product Management and Hardware TPMs. 

• Lead software integration across testers, handlers, thermal systems, device interfaces, PLCs, firmware, and equipment-control systems. 

• Lead development of communication interfaces for material handling, factory automation, and factory management systems. 

• Lead GEM/SECS, EAC/EAP, lot processing, alarms, availability reporting, equipment telemetry, and production data capabilities. 

• Lead automated validation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, regression, endurance testing, system qualification, and production readiness. 

• Improve throughput, reliability, availability, recovery, and downtime through system performance analysis. 

• Drive reuse and standardization of APIs, SDKs, messaging, data models, logging, diagnostics, and common software components. 

• Ensure customer requirements are implemented as scalable, configurable product capabilities. 

• Track milestones, dependencies, risks, quality, integration readiness, and release criteria across the portfolio. 

• Improve software development, testing, validation, and release processes. 

• Coordinate execution with Product Management, Program Management, Business Development, Hardware, Firmware, QA, Production, Applications, and Product Support. 

• Lead adoption of AI-assisted software development, testing, diagnostics, and documentation. 

• Conduct architecture, design, integration, and release-readiness reviews. 

• Present technical and program-readiness reviews to customers and internal leadership. 

• Support customer technical discussions, system bring-up, escalations, and production deployments. 

• Conduct performance reviews, set goals, mentor leaders, and support succession planning. 
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience 

• B.S in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering with a strong software background, Software Engineering, or related field; M.S. preferred. 

• 15+ years of software engineering or related technical experience. 

• 10+ years of technical engineering management experience. 

• 3+ years managing a multi-tier organization, including managers or supervisors. 

• Significant experience with semiconductor equipment-control software, material handling systems, factory automation, or complex hardware/software systems. 

• Strong knowledge of GEM/SECS and related SEMI standards. 

• Strong understanding of semiconductor test and measurement principles. 

• Experience integrating software with testers, handlers, thermal systems, PLCs, firmware, drivers, and production equipment. 

• Strong understanding of software architecture, distributed systems, APIs, messaging, telemetry, databases, and equipment-control software. 

• Experience with C#/.NET, C++, Python, or similar production software environments. 

• Experience managing multiple products and customer programs, including schedules, resources, dependencies, and technical risks. 

• Strong understanding of CI/CD, automated testing, hardware-in-the-loop validation, release management, observability, and production support. 

• Proven ability to lead global engineering teams and drive accountability. 

• Strong customer, technical, executive, and cross-functional communication skills. 
• Must be willing to work onsite in our Lake Forest, CA office.

Preferred / Plus Qualifications 

• Experience with SLT, Burn-In, ATE, HPC, handlers, or semiconductor capital equipment. 

• Experience with EAP/EAC, lot processing, factory automation, equipment telemetry, availability reporting, or manufacturing data systems. 

• Experience with handler, thermal, PLC, and tester integration. 

• Familiarity with Apache Pulsar, Kafka, RabbitMQ, MQTT, or similar messaging technologies. 

• Experience delivering on-premises software for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. 

• Experience modernizing legacy systems while maintaining compatibility with installed environments. 

• Experience applying AI to software development, testing, diagnostics, or documentation. 

• Experience leading engineering teams across the U.S. and international locations. 

Additional Requirements 

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required. 

• On-site presence in the Lake Forest, CA office is required.