Full-Time

Etch & Plasma Area Equipment Engineering Manager

Coherent

Coherent

5,001-10,000 employees

Global laser technologies and systems supplier

No salary listed

Celina, TX, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
Engineering Management (1)

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Requirements
  • Ten+ years of semiconductor equipment experience including 3+ years in leadership of engineers and/or technicians supporting tool sets (e.g., Ash, PVD, PECVD).
  • Proven success managing multiple tool types or modules within a wafer fabrication or advanced manufacturing environment.
  • Deep understanding of semiconductor equipment principles — mechanical, electrical, vacuum, and process interactions.
  • Strong leadership and mentoring abilities with demonstrated servant leadership mindset.
  • Skilled in data-driven problem solving, statistical process control (SPC), and root cause analysis.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills, both verbal and written.
  • Ability to balance strategic vision with day-to-day execution under dynamic production conditions.
  • Experience managing capital projects, vendor contracts, and spare parts budgets.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office and manufacturing data systems (e.g., Manufacturing Execution System, Computerized Maintenance Management System, SPC).
  • Collaborative leadership style that promotes inclusion, accountability, and joy in the workplace.
Responsibilities
  • Lead a team of approximately 2+ Equipment Engineers and several technicians supporting multiple equipment modules (e.g., Ash, PVD, PECVD, etc.).
  • Promote a servant leadership culture that values curiosity, mentorship, and joyful engagement over hierarchy or ego.
  • Develop and coach engineers and technicians through individual growth plans, performance feedback, and structured training programs.
  • Encourage cross-training, technical certifications, and career development aligned with company needs and employee goals.
  • Build an inclusive and supportive team environment where collaboration and accountability thrive.
  • Ensure equipment uptime and process stability through structured preventive maintenance, data-driven decision making, and proactive problem solving.
  • Review and challenge teams to prioritize effectively based on operations needs and risk.
  • Lead daily operations discussions, providing status updates, constraints, and recovery plans.
  • Drive rapid resolution of tool issues by fostering collaboration between Engineering, Process, Facilities, and Operations teams.
  • Support development activities and process introductions to ensure smooth transitions from R&D to manufacturing.
  • Develop and manage module-level improvement roadmaps focused on safety, quality, yield, and cost efficiency.
  • Drive corrective and preventive actions to closure through structured problem-solving methods (5Y, 8D, FMEA, etc.).
  • Leverage SPC and data automation to increase team reliance on measurable performance metrics.
  • Identify opportunities for tool upgrades, reliability improvements, and cost reductions.
  • Oversee project schedules, capital justifications, and installation activities for new or relocated tools.
  • Build and sustain positive relationships with key vendors and service providers to strengthen technical support and responsiveness.
  • Mentor engineers on the importance of vendor relationships, negotiation, and long-term partnership.
  • Collaborate closely with Process Engineering, EHS, Facilities, and Operations leadership to align on shared priorities.
  • Ensure all activities meet or exceed site safety standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Define, monitor, and communicate key performance indicators (KPIs) for tool availability, MTBF, PM compliance, and cost metrics.
  • Use data visualization and reporting tools to provide meaningful insight to senior management.
  • Ensure accurate maintenance records, PM documentation, and tool history logs are maintained.
Desired Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Electronics, or related technical discipline preferred.
  • Equivalent experience and demonstrated leadership capability may be considered in lieu of a degree.

Coherent designs and sells lasers, laser-based technologies, and complete laser system solutions for commercial, industrial, and scientific uses. Its products include laser sources and components, as well as turnkey systems for applications such as microelectronics manufacturing, materials processing, medical diagnostics, and research; revenue comes from hardware sales, services, and recurring consumables and software. It serves OEMs, end-users, and government agencies worldwide, competing by offering a broad, integrated portfolio of laser products and system solutions across multiple industries. Its goal is to expand product lines and services to help customers deploy and scale laser-based technologies in manufacturing, research, and defense applications.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Santa Clara, California

Founded

1966

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q4 FY2026 revenue reached $2.05 billion, and Q1 FY2027 guides to $2.4 billion.
  • Data center and communications revenue hit $1.62 billion, up 58.6% year over year.
  • PhotonLink launches at ECOC 2026, with initial revenue targeted for December 2026.

What critics are saying

  • Industrial revenue fell 15.8% in Q4 FY2026, exposing dependence on AI infrastructure.
  • Full-year operating cash flow dropped sharply in FY2026, constraining aggressive capacity spending.
  • If AI transceiver demand normalizes after 2027, Coherent’s valuation and expansion thesis collapses.

What makes Coherent unique

  • Jim Anderson’s vertical integration spans lasers, wafers, optics, and integrated photonics.
  • NVIDIA’s March 2026 $2 billion investment validates Coherent’s AI networking position.
  • PhotonLink and 300mm SiC substrates expand Coherent beyond transceivers into platform materials.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-8%

1 year growth

-8%

2 year growth

-11%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 20th, 2026
Two optical stocks poised for growth after AI selloff: Lumentum and Coherent

Lumentum and Coherent, optical component makers for AI data centers, saw shares drop sharply on Tuesday. Lumentum fell 9.9% to $873.31, while Coherent declined 12.8% to $306.43 amid broader selling in richly valued AI-related stocks. The declines weren't company-specific. Both firms recently reported strong results. Lumentum doubled its revenue to $1.01 billion in its fiscal fourth quarter ended 27 June, up 109% year over year. The company expects $1.225 billion to $1.275 billion in revenue this quarter. Adjusted gross margin reached 50.4%, with adjusted earnings per share of $3.23. Management guided to $4.05 to $4.35 this quarter. Coherent posted a record quarter with guidance for continued growth. Both companies cited strong demand for optical components used in AI data centers.

Vanta
Aug 18th, 2026
Coherent begins sampling 300mm silicon carbide substrates for AI chips.

Coherent begins sampling 300mm silicon carbide substrates for AI chips. Coherent launched customer sampling of 300mm high thermal conductivity silicon carbide substrates for leading AI semiconductor partners, advancing its materials platform for HPC infrastructure. Coherent COHR-45.37(-12.92%) has begun customer sampling of 300mm high thermal conductivity silicon carbide (SiC) substrates for leading AI semiconductor partners, the company disclosed on August 17, 2026 via GlobeNewsWire. The substrates are designed to advance Coherent's materials platform for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure applications. The announcement comes five days after Coherent posted Q4 FY2026 earnings that beat estimates, with data center revenue climbing 66% year over year. Read more market news on the Market News hub. What happened. Coherent launched customer sampling of its 300mm high thermal conductivity SiC substrates, targeting leading AI semiconductor companies. The 300mm wafer size aligns with advanced semiconductor manufacturing node requirements, where larger substrates improve economies of scale for chip production. On the August 12 Q4 FY2026 earnings call, CEO Jim Anderson had already previewed Coherent's move into advanced materials. He cited "advanced materials for data center thermal and power management" as one of several new revenue streams expected to ramp over the coming quarters. Anderson separately noted that Coherent's thermodynamic cooling materials could "improve thermal performance and enable higher XPU performance," with initial revenue anticipated in the second half of calendar 2027. The SiC substrate announcement reinforces that framing. Silicon carbide's high thermal conductivity makes it suitable for managing heat in AI accelerators and dense HPC deployments, where power density is a key constraint. COHR shares fell 5.48% on August 18 to $317.29, with a market cap of $62.07 billion. The stock has gained approximately 480% over the past 24 months as AI networking demand surged. Why it matters. Coherent is best known as a photonic components supplier for AI data center networks, but the SiC substrates initiative signals a deliberate push into materials science beyond optics. The announcement positions Coherent as a substrate provider to semiconductor fabricators rather than purely a component supplier. On the Q4 call, Anderson emphasized that Coherent's competitive differentiation rests on vertical integration and manufacturing scale. Extending that integration into substrates could deepen customer lock-in with AI chipmakers and open a new revenue line within the same customer base. CFO Sherri Luther flagged new product ramps across 1.6T transceivers, optical circuit switching, co-packaged optics, multi-rail systems, and thermal management solutions as drivers for FY2027 margin expansion. For researchers tracking Coherent's diversification beyond photonics, the SiC substrate sampling is an early signal that the materials platform is progressing toward commercial qualification. What to watch next. Monitor three concrete follow-ups tied to this announcement: * Customer qualification timeline: The sampling phase precedes volume qualification. Watch for any update in Coherent's Q1 FY2027 earnings call (scheduled around November 4, 2026) on whether any AI semiconductor partners have moved toward purchase agreements. * Revenue ramp guidance: Anderson pegged the thermal management revenue ramp to the second half of calendar 2027. Any revision to that timeline, either acceleration or delay, would be material for FY2027 consensus estimates. * SIc substrate capacity disclosure: Coherent has not disclosed specific production capacity for its SiC substrate platform. The next investor presentation or 10-K filing (due in August 2026) may contain updated details on wafer fabrication capabilities. Coherent guides Q1 FY2027 revenue of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion with EPS of $1.85 to $2.05. The company expects to reach its first $3 billion quarterly revenue milestone by the end of fiscal 2027.

Associated Press
Aug 17th, 2026
Coherent samples 300mm silicon carbide substrates for AI chips with 25% better heat spreading

Coherent Corp. has begun sampling 300mm high thermal conductivity silicon carbide substrates to leading AI semiconductor partners. The milestone advances the company's materials platform for thermal management in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing systems. As AI processors move towards higher power densities, heat removal is becoming a primary constraint on system performance and datacenter efficiency. Coherent's silicon carbide substrates are engineered to improve heat spreading by up to 25% compared to current solutions whilst maintaining compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing platforms. The company's vertically integrated capabilities in silicon carbide crystal growth, wafering, polishing, and characterisation provide control across the production process. Craig Mullaney, Senior Vice President at Coherent, said the company is helping build the materials foundation for future AI infrastructure by combining decades of silicon carbide expertise with scalable 300mm manufacturing.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 14th, 2026
Lumentum and Coherent beat earnings estimates but face contrasting market reactions

CNBC's Jim Cramer analysed the contrasting market reactions to earnings reports from optical technology companies Lumentum Holdings and Coherent Corp. on 12 August. Lumentum reported fourth quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.01 billion, up 109% year-over-year, beating estimates. Non-GAAP earnings per share reached $3.23, exceeding expectations by $0.26. The company guided first quarter fiscal 2027 revenue between $1.225 billion and $1.275 billion, with EPS of $4.05 to $4.35. Coherent posted fourth quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $2.05 billion, a 34% year-over-year increase, surpassing estimates by $70 million. Non-GAAP EPS of $1.74 beat expectations by $0.12. The company forecast first quarter fiscal 2027 revenue between $2.2 billion and $2.4 billion. Despite strong results, Coherent shares fell in after-hours trading following an 8% gain during regular hours. Cramer attributed the decline to profit-taking after the stock's earlier rally.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
US pre-markets rise as PPI holds steady, oil prices and bond yields fall

The US Department of Labor reported that the producer price index for final products remained unchanged in July, against expectations of a 0.1% increase. Core PPI rose 0.4%, exceeding the consensus estimate of 0.3%. Both headline and core PPI increased 4.7% annually. Crude oil prices fell around 2% after the International Energy Agency warned that global oil demand would decline more than previously forecast. The Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, with traffic falling to a three-month low. Following the inflation data and falling oil prices, yields on US government bonds declined, with the 10-year Treasury falling 2 basis points. Initial jobless claims rose to 209,000 for the week ended 8 August, above estimates of 203,000.