What are the responsibilities and job description for the Semiconductor Instrument Development Engineer position at Elemental Scientific?
Company Description Elemental Scientific (ESI) provides online monitoring systems, laboratory automation products, sample preparation accessories, and precision sample introduction components that support advanced scientific work. The company focuses on practical solutions that improve detection limits, precision, accuracy, maintenance, and throughput for laboratories. With more than two decades of experience, ESI serves industries such as semiconductor, clinical, environmental, and mining. Its products integrate with a range of analytical instruments, including ICP, ICPMS, GC, HPLC, and IC. ESI designs tools that enable laboratories to operate more efficiently and expand their analytical capabilities.
Elemental Scientific Inc. is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Semiconductor Instrument Development Engineer to join our growing team in Omaha. This position offers a unique opportunity to apply your problem-solving skills to the testing and optimization of advanced automation products, specifically focusing on the integration of physical hardware with control systems and the development of new mechanical assemblies.
Your contributions will directly improve the precision, reliability, and efficiency of tools required for next-generation semiconductor technology. From supporting industry-leading fabs to enabling breakthroughs in robotics, your work will ensure that our sophisticated hardware and software systems operate in perfect synchronization.
Duties and Responsibilities
In this role, you will focus on the design, execution, and operational success of our analytical and robotic systems. Key responsibilities include:
- Hardware Design & Assembly: Develop and prototype new hardware design assemblies for robotic systems and analytical instruments, ensuring mechanical integrity and manufacturability.
- Hardware-Software Integration: Configure, test, and troubleshoot the interface between physical robotic components and control software to ensure seamless communication and precision movement.
- Automated Analysis: Perform routine and complex automated analyses of semiconductor process chemicals to ensure purity and quality.
- System Operation: Operate advanced analytical instrumentation, including robotic systems, mass spectrometers, and other high-precision tools.
- Product Optimization: Collaborate on the refinement of automation products, providing feedback on hardware performance and software responsiveness to drive engineering improvements.
- Technical Field Services: Travel to customer sites to manage hardware installations, calibrate software interfaces, and provide hands-on training to end-users.
Qualifications
We are looking for a candidate who is disciplined, analytical, and eager to bridge the gap between digital instructions and physical motion. While we provide all training, the following qualifications are preferred:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (e.g., Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Physics).
- Technical Design: Proficiency in SolidWorks for creating complex mechanical designs, assemblies, and technical drawings.
- Interface Proficiency: A strong interest in how software commands translate into physical hardware actions (e.g., sensors, actuators, and motor controllers).
- Problem-Solving: A logical and highly analytical approach to troubleshooting technical hardware and software bugs in real-time.
- Professionalism: Dependable, responsible, and capable of working both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Communication: Strong computer literacy and the ability to communicate technical hardware issues clearly to the design team.