Supplier/Vendor QA Engineer 3

The group you’ll be a part of

This position is part of the Supplier Engineering and Technology (SET) organization, which focuses on innovation in manufacturing technology, materials, and supply chain design. As a Supplier Engineer, you will play a critical role in managing coating suppliers.

You will have the opportunity to work cross-functionally to resolve technical, quality, and production challenges, while driving excellence in product design and manufacturing within the coating supply chain.

The ideal candidate is a results-driven self-starter with strong interpersonal skills and a customer-focused mindset. This individual should be able to effectively multitask in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changing priorities, and work both independently and collaboratively within a team.

The impact you’ll make

As a Supplier Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer at Lam, you'll make an impact in ensuring suppliers manufacturing processes and products meet quality standards by designing, implementing, and maintaining quality assurance programs. You design methods for inspecting, testing, and evaluating production processes and finished products onsite at our global suppliers’ locations. By analyzing production data, you identify trends and partner with the supplier to resolve technical, quality and production challenges. Your expertise will help develop excellence in supplier product inputs supporting Lam's commitment to delivering high-quality and reliable products.

What you’ll do

• Work with Lam Product Group Engineering to develop and release new coated products to suppliers
• Coordinate and support investigations of key quality issues from customers and/or field service teams to drive corrective actions and continuous improvement
• Drive improvements in supplier quality and manufacturing processes to ensure product quality, cost competitiveness, and on-time delivery
• Audit and document supply base performance, including critical process controls and overall quality management systems
• Collaborate closely with product management, global product groups, and supplier business managers to continuously develop the supply base
• Lead and take ownership of high-profile projects, including timelines and key milestones
• Continuously drive process improvements and develop Best Known Methods (BKM)
• Perform standardized supplier quality audits and manage supplier quality scorecards to promote continuous improvement

Who we’re looking for

• Understanding of material preparation and fabrication processes for coated parts

• Ability to design material test plans to support coated product qualification, including analysis, interpretation, and defining testing requirements (e.g., GDMS, ICP-MS, SEM-EDS, surface morphology)

• Creative thinking and strong problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities, with experience in materials and mechanical engineering

• Solid understanding of statistical process control (SPC)

• In-depth knowledge of equipment and component manufacturing processes

• Experience in supplier process development and quality management

• Understanding of failure analysis and structured problem solving

• Ability to quickly learn new skills with minimal supervision

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field from an accredited university is required

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field from an accredited university is preferred

Preferred qualifications

• Well-versed in plasma, ALD, and PECVD coating processes and products
• Strong background in materials science and engineering, with solid experience in coating processes
• Hands-on experience in coating process control for various substrate types and coated parts
• Experience in material characterization and surface analysis
• Solid understanding of problem-solving methodologies, including 8D and 5 Why analysis
• Project management and/or team leadership experience
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in the semiconductor equipment industry
• Experience working with global suppliers
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Strong attention to detail

Our commitment

We believe it is important for every person to feel valued, included, and empowered to achieve their full potential. By bringing unique individuals and viewpoints together, we achieve extraordinary results.

Lam Research ("Lam" or the "Company") is an equal opportunity employer. Lam is committed to and reaffirms support of equal opportunity in employment and non-discrimination in employment policies, practices and procedures on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. It is the Company's intention to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. Company policy prohibits unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees.

Lam offers a variety of work location models based on the needs of each role. Our hybrid roles combine the benefits of on-site collaboration with colleagues and the flexibility to work remotely and fall into two categories – On-site Flex and Virtual Flex. ‘On-site Flex’ you’ll work 3+ days per week on-site at a Lam or customer/supplier location, with the opportunity to work remotely for the balance of the week. ‘Virtual Flex’ you’ll work 1-2 days per week on-site at a Lam or customer/supplier location, and remotely the rest of the time.