Design Engineer Jobs at KLA with Visa Sponsorship
Design Engineer jobs at KLA sit at the intersection of semiconductor equipment development and precision manufacturing, covering areas like optics, mechanical systems, and process integration. KLA has a well-established sponsorship infrastructure that supports international engineers across multiple visa categories, from OPT through long-term pathways.
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KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.
Group/Division
With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The LS-SWIFT Division of KLA’s Global Products Group provides patterned wafer inspection systems for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. Its mission is to deliver market-leading cost of ownership in defect detection for a broad range of applications in the production of semiconductors. Customers from the foundry, logic, memory, automotive, MEMS, advanced packaging and other markets rely upon high-sample wafer inspection information generated by LS-SWIFT products. LS (Laser Scanning) systems enable cost-effective patterned wafer defect detection for the industry’s most sophisticated process technologies deployed in leading-edge foundry, logic, DRAM, and NAND fabs. SWIFT (Simultaneous Wafer Inspection at Fast Throughput) systems deliver all-wafer-surface (frontside, backside, and edge) macro inspection that is critical for automotive IC, MEMS, and advanced packaging processes as well as foundry/logic and memory fabs. LS-SWIFT operates from a global footprint that includes the US, Singapore, India and Germany, and serves a worldwide customer base across Asia, Europe and North America.
Job Description/Preferred Qualifications
- Design and develop multi-disciplinary systems and features.
- Planning and testing system for performance, troubleshooting and support for better performance, manufacturability and serviceability.
- Define system-level requirements, subsystem interfaces, and technical tradeoffs across optical, mechanical, electrical, controls, and software domains.
- Lead integration, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions from prototype through production and field escalation support.
- Hands on development in a lab or an actual HW.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to requirements traceability, technical reviews, and roadmap planning.
- Lead system and subsystem integration, testing, and characterization activities. Define and maintain specifications to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
- Deliver structured training to Manufacturing Engineers and NPI Engineers. Maintain up-to-date product knowledge through regular trainings, including sessions at KLA headquarters.
- Coordinate project activities by actively aligning with stakeholders and perform system level tasks.
- Work with functional groups to define and review designs.
- Work with marketing and engineering teams to define system architecture.
- Support manufacturing and field service teams with optics- and system-related escalations. Resolve technical conflicts, set priorities in line with program objectives, and escalate topics when required.
- Drive programs and projects with KLA PLC rigor.
- Provide regular status updates to management through weekly reports and live presentations, ensuring transparency on progress, changes, and risks.
- Ensure alignment with defined group strategies and roadmaps. Conduct periodic reviews to evaluate progress and adjust plans as necessary.
- Act as a driver for new ideas, methods, and ways of working in a fast-evolving and highly competitive industry.
- Assess, evaluate risks, and drive projects forward with an eye for critical path.
- Communicate cross-functionally with a diverse team including engineering, marketing, manufacturing, and service to drive execution.
- Lead, encourage, empower, and influence team members to achieve excellence in engineering rigor, reliability, usability, and customer focus.
- Articulate and present execution plans for internal leadership as well as external customers.
- Identify bottlenecks and remove obstacles for the team to focus on value-add activities.
- Hold regular meetings between functional groups to ensure interdependencies are well understood and documented.
- Support roadmap development by detailing upcoming requirement changes and resources required.
- Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to deliver results within defined timelines.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions.
- Occasional travel required up to 20%.
Minimum Qualifications
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years.
Base Pay Range: $117,800.00 - $200,300.00 Annually
Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA
KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave. Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.
Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.
Company Overview
KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.
Group/Division
With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The LS-SWIFT Division of KLA’s Global Products Group provides patterned wafer inspection systems for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. Its mission is to deliver market-leading cost of ownership in defect detection for a broad range of applications in the production of semiconductors. Customers from the foundry, logic, memory, automotive, MEMS, advanced packaging and other markets rely upon high-sample wafer inspection information generated by LS-SWIFT products. LS (Laser Scanning) systems enable cost-effective patterned wafer defect detection for the industry’s most sophisticated process technologies deployed in leading-edge foundry, logic, DRAM, and NAND fabs. SWIFT (Simultaneous Wafer Inspection at Fast Throughput) systems deliver all-wafer-surface (frontside, backside, and edge) macro inspection that is critical for automotive IC, MEMS, and advanced packaging processes as well as foundry/logic and memory fabs. LS-SWIFT operates from a global footprint that includes the US, Singapore, India and Germany, and serves a worldwide customer base across Asia, Europe and North America.
Job Description/Preferred Qualifications
- Design and develop multi-disciplinary systems and features.
- Planning and testing system for performance, troubleshooting and support for better performance, manufacturability and serviceability.
- Define system-level requirements, subsystem interfaces, and technical tradeoffs across optical, mechanical, electrical, controls, and software domains.
- Lead integration, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions from prototype through production and field escalation support.
- Hands on development in a lab or an actual HW.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to requirements traceability, technical reviews, and roadmap planning.
- Lead system and subsystem integration, testing, and characterization activities. Define and maintain specifications to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
- Deliver structured training to Manufacturing Engineers and NPI Engineers. Maintain up-to-date product knowledge through regular trainings, including sessions at KLA headquarters.
- Coordinate project activities by actively aligning with stakeholders and perform system level tasks.
- Work with functional groups to define and review designs.
- Work with marketing and engineering teams to define system architecture.
- Support manufacturing and field service teams with optics- and system-related escalations. Resolve technical conflicts, set priorities in line with program objectives, and escalate topics when required.
- Drive programs and projects with KLA PLC rigor.
- Provide regular status updates to management through weekly reports and live presentations, ensuring transparency on progress, changes, and risks.
- Ensure alignment with defined group strategies and roadmaps. Conduct periodic reviews to evaluate progress and adjust plans as necessary.
- Act as a driver for new ideas, methods, and ways of working in a fast-evolving and highly competitive industry.
- Assess, evaluate risks, and drive projects forward with an eye for critical path.
- Communicate cross-functionally with a diverse team including engineering, marketing, manufacturing, and service to drive execution.
- Lead, encourage, empower, and influence team members to achieve excellence in engineering rigor, reliability, usability, and customer focus.
- Articulate and present execution plans for internal leadership as well as external customers.
- Identify bottlenecks and remove obstacles for the team to focus on value-add activities.
- Hold regular meetings between functional groups to ensure interdependencies are well understood and documented.
- Support roadmap development by detailing upcoming requirement changes and resources required.
- Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to deliver results within defined timelines.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions.
- Occasional travel required up to 20%.
Minimum Qualifications
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years.
Base Pay Range: $117,800.00 - $200,300.00 Annually
Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA
KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave. Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.
Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.
See all 36+ Design Engineer Jobs at KLA
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Design Engineer Jobs at KLA.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Design Engineer Jobs at KLA
Align your degree to KLA's specialty occupation standard
KLA's Design Engineer roles typically require a degree in mechanical, electrical, or optical engineering. Confirm your transcripts reflect coursework that maps directly to the role's technical scope, since USCIS scrutinizes degree-to-job-duty alignment closely for H-1B petitions.
Target KLA's semiconductor equipment product lines
KLA hires Design Engineers across metrology, inspection, and process control equipment divisions. Tailoring your resume to a specific product line, rather than applying broadly, increases your fit signal and helps recruiters match you to teams with active headcount.
Start OPT early if you're on an F-1 visa
F-1 students applying to KLA should file for OPT at least 90 days before graduation. STEM OPT extension eligibility gives you up to 36 months of work authorization, which covers two full H-1B lottery cycles if your first registration isn't selected.
Clarify your H-1B timeline before accepting an offer
If you're between OPT and H-1B status, confirm KLA's intended filing period with your recruiter before signing. The H-1B cap season opens in March and employment can begin October 1, so your start date needs to account for that federal processing window.
Use Migrate Mate to filter open Design Engineer roles by sponsorship
Finding roles where KLA is actively hiring and sponsoring takes more than a general job board search. Use Migrate Mate to surface Design Engineer positions at KLA filtered by the visa types relevant to your situation, so you're only applying where sponsorship is confirmed.
Prepare for a PERM-backed Green Card conversation at offer stage
KLA's sponsorship track extends to Green Card pathways for engineering roles through PERM labor certification. If long-term permanent residency is a priority, ask your recruiter directly at the offer stage whether the role is eligible, since not all positions qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does KLA sponsor H-1B visas for Design Engineers?
Yes, KLA sponsors H-1B visas for Design Engineers. The company has a consistent track record of filing H-1B petitions for engineering roles across its semiconductor equipment divisions. If you're a current F-1 OPT holder or a candidate already on H-1B visa status, KLA's recruiting process is structured to accommodate both cap-subject filings and transfer petitions.
Which visa types does KLA support for Design Engineer roles?
KLA supports multiple visa categories for Design Engineers, including H-1B, F-1 OPT and CPT, TN visa for Canadian and Mexican nationals, J-1 visa, and EB-2 and EB-3 Green Card pathways. The right visa depends on your nationality, education, and career stage. TN visa is available to Canadians and Mexicans with engineering degrees under USMCA, while EB-2 and EB-3 require PERM labor certification sponsored by KLA.
What qualifications does KLA expect for Design Engineer positions?
KLA's Design Engineer roles typically require a bachelor's degree or higher in mechanical, electrical, optical, or systems engineering. Hands-on experience with CAD tools, tolerance analysis, or hardware design for precision equipment is commonly expected. Roles tied to metrology or inspection systems may require familiarity with optics or semiconductor manufacturing processes. A graduate degree can strengthen your profile for senior-level openings.
How do I apply for Design Engineer jobs at KLA?
You can browse and apply for Design Engineer roles at KLA directly through the KLA careers portal, or use Migrate Mate to find open positions filtered by visa sponsorship type so you can identify roles where your work authorization is supported before applying. When applying, tailor your resume to the specific product division, whether that's wafer inspection, metrology, or process control, and highlight relevant hardware design or semiconductor equipment experience.
How do I time my application if I'm waiting on an H-1B lottery result?
If you're on F-1 OPT and registered in the H-1B lottery, align your KLA application timeline so you have an offer in place before the March registration window. USCIS selects registrations in March and April, and approved petitions take effect October 1. KLA's HR teams are familiar with this cycle, so being transparent about your status early helps recruiters plan your start date accordingly.