Director of R&D - Semiconductor Infrastructure Solutions

Overview

About Keysight

At Keysight, we help companies address their toughest challenges with precision and confidence. Our customers sit at the center of everything we do and we enable them to bring breakthrough technologies to life.

Within Semiconductor Infrastructure Solutions (SIS), we co‑innovate with leading semiconductor equipment customers to deliver next-generation metrology systems that enable continued advancement of Moore’s Law. SIS’s core differentiator is high-precision laser interferometry. Our displacement- and position-measuring interferometer systems deliver the sub-nanometer accuracy that lithography and wafer-inspection tools depend on to control stage position. These systems are integrated directly into scanners and metrology platforms from customers, enabling the overlay accuracy and throughput required at the most advanced semiconductor process nodes in the world.

Responsibilities

The Role

As a Director of R&D, you will lead a team of R&D managers and engineers while serving as the critical integration point across development, customer programs, and operations.

You will translate product and technology direction into executable plans, ensuring alignment across teams and delivering complex, customer-driven development programs with strong performance and predictability. This role combines deep technical expertise with execution leadership, ensuring system-level performance and readiness from concept through NPI and into production. Much of this work centers around displacement metrology subsystems that span laser sources, precision optics, optomechanical stages, and real-time signal-processing electronics and innovation in these and adjacent areas.

Why This Role Matters

This role sits at the center of SIS execution—ensuring that complex, cross-functional, customer-driven development efforts translate into real, delivered outcomes. You will play a critical role in enabling the organization to scale innovation while maintaining the performance and reliability required by the world’s leading semiconductor equipment manufacturers. At SIS, that includes the interferometry-based position and displacement metrology systems that power next-generation lithography scanners at customers where nanometer-level precision directly influences chip yield and the pace of Moore’s Law.

What You Will Do

Translate Strategy into Execution

• Convert product and technology direction into clear development plans, priorities, and milestones
• Align teams around what must be delivered, when, and at what level of performance
• Make trade-offs across scope, timeline, and technical complexity to maintain delivery commitments

Integrate Across Functions

• Act as the integration point across R&D, marketing, NPI, manufacturing, and adjacent teams
• Ensure strong alignment in areas where breakdowns typically occur:
• requirements to design to production readiness
• custom solutions to scalable platforms
• development timelines to customer commitments
• Drive end-to-end accountability for program execution, not just functional success

Execute Customer-Funded Development Programs

• Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to execute co-development programs
• Ensure clarity on requirements, specifications, and success criteria
• Deliver on-time, in-spec outcomes while maintaining strong customer confidence

Drive Execution Discipline & Predictability

• Improve delivery predictability and program health across development efforts
• Reduce late-stage surprises through clear milestones, early risk identification, and decisive action
• Strengthen transitions from development to NPI to production

Lead and Develop a High-Performing Organization

• Lead a team of 2–3 R&D managers and 35–40 engineers and scientists across lasers, optics, optomechanics, and electronics
• Drive accountability for outcomes, not just activity
• Strengthen technical capability while building a culture of collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement

What Success Looks Like

• Consistent delivery of on-time, high-quality development outcomes
• Strong alignment across teams, with fewer breakdowns at development-to-production transitions
• Improved predictability of execution, with reduced escalations and recovery cycles
• Sustained confidence from key customers in SIS’s ability to deliver complex programs reliably
• A high-performing team with clear ownership, strong bench strength, and retained critical talent

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field required

Experience

• 5+ years delivering complex product development programs as a program manager or R&D leader
• Experience managing teams of 25+, including multiple managers
• 5+ years in semiconductor equipment or related high-tech R&D environments
• Strong familiarity with laser interferometry or precision optical metrology (e.g., displacement- or position-measuring interferometers, stage metrology, or lithography/wafer-inspection sub-systems) preferred
• Experience in adjacent markets where similar solutions/technologies can be applied will be a plus.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in complex, global settings

Capabilities

• Customer Orientation: Develops and maintains a strong understanding of customers’ technology roadmaps and strategic priorities to help align R&D investments with future market need, enabling effective customer engagement and supporting long-term business growth
• Systems Thinking: Strong ability to manage system-level performance, integration, and trade-offs
• Execution Leadership: Drives clarity, accountability, and predictable delivery in complex environments
• Decision-Making: Makes timely, informed decisions in ambiguous and high-pressure situations
• People Leadership: Develops managers and builds engaged, high-performing teams
• Collaboration: Works effectively across functions, geographies, and disciplines

Additional Requirements

• Experience working across global teams and time zones
• Willingness to travel (~10%)
• Must be based in the Bay Area with U.S. citizenship or permanent residency

Careers Privacy Statement***Keysight is an Equal Opportunity Employer.***

The level of role will be based on applicable experience, education and skills;

Most offers will be between the minimum and the midpoint of the Salary Range listed below.

California pay range: MIN $201,790.00, MIDPOINT $269,050.00 - MAX $336,320.00

Note: For other locations, pay ranges will vary by region

This role is eligible for our Keysight Results Bonus Program

US Employees may be eligible for the following benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision
• Health Savings Account
• Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life, Accident, Disability insurance
• Business Travel Accident and Business Travel Health
• 401(k) Plan
• Flexible Time Off, Paid Holidays
• Paid Family Leave
• Discounts, Perks
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Adoption Assistance
• ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)

#LI-EY1