Principal Engineer Jobs in California

Forming Our Future together

FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle — from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor’s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Rooted in our core values — Focus on the Customer, Ownership & Accountability, Respectfully & Effectively Communicate, and Motivate & Develop People — we foster an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. Everyone can make an impact here. Whether it's improving products, supporting customers, or positively influencing peers and the community, the contributions of our people matter.

Shift:

The regular hours for this position are day shift.

Job Description:

FormFactor is seeking a highly motivated Principal Product Integration Engineer to provide technical leadership in the development, validation, deployment, and long-term sustainment of advanced probe card technologies on a new product platform.

This role will serve as a senior technical contributor responsible for defining and executing complex product test and qualification strategies, solving critical product and customer challenges, and driving successful deployment of new probe solutions across a growing global customer base. The Principal Product Solutions Engineer will work at the intersection of product development, manufacturing, process engineering, and customer applications to ensure new technologies achieve performance, reliability, manufacturability, and scalability objectives.

The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities to translate complex engineering data into actionable product decisions. This individual will also provide technical guidance to engineering teams, lead high-impact investigations and improvement initiatives, and help establish engineering methodologies and best practices that support the continued expansion of the product platform.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development, Validation & Test

• Provide technical leadership in the development, validation, qualification, and sustainment of advanced probe card solutions and new product technologies.
• Define comprehensive engineering test strategies to characterize product performance, reliability, manufacturability, and operational limits.
• Design and execute complex engineering experiments, including Design of Experiments (DOE), to evaluate product behavior and identify critical performance drivers.
• Develop and improve test methodologies, fixtures, procedures, analytical tools, and technical standards supporting product development and sustaining activities.
• Analyze complex engineering and test data, identify trends and technical risks, and translate findings into clear recommendations for product, process, and manufacturing improvements.

Product Deployment & Sustaining Engineering

• Serve as a senior technical resource for the deployment and sustainment of new probe solutions across multiple customer programs and applications.
• Lead complex product performance investigations using structured root-cause analysis, failure analysis, and corrective action methodologies.
• Drive resolution of challenging technical issues involving product performance, reliability, yield, manufacturing processes, or customer applications.
• Identify systemic product or process issues and develop scalable engineering solutions that improve quality, reliability, and operational efficiency.
• Establish sustaining strategies and technical documentation that enable consistent product support as deployment expands across customers and manufacturing operations.

Customer & Cross-Functional Support

• Partner closely with Product Engineering, Design Engineering, Process Development, Manufacturing, Quality, and Customer Support teams to resolve complex technical challenges.
• Provide technical leadership for customer qualification activities, field investigations, product escalations, and new technology adoption.
• Translate customer performance requirements and field learning into actionable engineering requirements and product improvement opportunities.
• Communicate technical findings, risks, recommendations, and resolution plans effectively to engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders.

Continuous Improvement & Technical Leadership

• Lead high-impact continuous improvement initiatives focused on product performance, reliability, yield, manufacturability, and scalability.
• Drive technology transfer and new product introduction activities to ensure products transition successfully from development into manufacturing and customer deployment.
• Develop and promote engineering best practices, technical standards, lessons learned, and standardized problem-solving approaches.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and other technical team members while promoting rigorous engineering practices.
• Influence technical direction and engineering decisions through data-driven recommendations, subject-matter expertise, and collaboration across functions.
• Identify emerging technical risks and opportunities and proactively develop solutions that improve long-term product capability and customer success.

Preferred Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical discipline.
• Engineering experience in semiconductor, probe card, test hardware, precision mechanical systems, or related industries.
• Experience designing and executing engineering experiments and interpreting complex test data.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience using statistical methods and structured root-cause analysis.
• Familiarity with mechanical design principles, tolerance analysis, and precision electromechanical assemblies.
• Experience working with cross-functional development teams in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with semiconductor probe cards, wafer test systems, or related semiconductor capital equipment.
• Knowledge of MEMS technologies or precision microfabrication techniques.
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE), reliability testing, and statistical data analysis.
• Proficiency with CAD tools and engineering data analysis software.
• Familiarity with manufacturing process development, qualification methodologies, and sustaining engineering practices.
• Experience supporting customer issue resolution and field deployment activities.

Skills:

CAD Modeling, Customer Issue Resolution, Customer Success, Design of Experiments (DOE), Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS), Precision Metrology, Probe Cards, Process Development (PD), Reliability Testing, Semiconductor Devices, Semiconductor Equipment, Semiconductor Industry, Statistical Data Analysis, Statistical Design of Experiments (DOE), Structured Problem Solving, Technical Problem-Solving, Test System Design, Wafer Probing

Education & Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work | Required

Pay Range:

$110,700.00 - $145,320.00

Pay Range Explained:

This role in Livermore, California pays between $110,700.00 and $145,320.00 per year, depending on your experience, skills, and background. Pay may vary in other locations. We offer a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), and paid time off. You’ll also be eligible for quarterly profit-sharing bonuses and flexible spending or savings accounts.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

FormFactor is an equal opportunity employer. FormFactor complies with all national, state, and local laws that seek to promote equal opportunities for any applicant or employee without regard to age, race, color, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, military service, or any other legally protected characteristics. These protections apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and compensation.

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