Senior Application Development Scientist

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

The Senior Application Development Scientist is a technical leader responsible for developing, validating, and industrializing advanced semiconductor microscopy workflows across Thermo Fisher Scientific's Small Dual Beam (SDB), Wafer Dual Beam (WDB), and automation platforms.

Working across customer applications, product strategy, and technology development, this role translates customer needs into scalable application solutions, shapes future hardware and software capabilities, and drives automated workflows across the semiconductor product portfolio.

The successful candidate is a recognized expert in semiconductor sample preparation and process automation, providing technical leadership across product development, customer engagements, and technology strategy.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Lead development, validation, and deployment of semiconductor sample preparation workflows.
• Define application requirements, validation strategies, and success criteria for new capabilities.
• Develop production-ready automated workflows using AutoTEM, iFast, machine learning, Python, and related technologies.
• Serve as the technical authority for complex application challenges.
• Develop Best Known Methods (BKMs), validation plans, and workflow performance metrics.

Customer & Market Engagement

• Translate customer and market requirements into technical solutions.
• Partner with strategic semiconductor customers to understand emerging needs.
• Lead customer demonstrations, technical reviews, workshops, and roadmap discussions.
• Support Product Marketing and Sales throughout the product lifecycle.
• Identify technology trends that influence future products.

Product Strategy

• Influence hardware, software, and automation roadmaps through application expertise.
• Partner with Product Marketing, Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, and R&D to deliver customer-focused solutions.
• Contribute to application roadmaps and long-term technology strategy.
• Stay current on semiconductor technology, device architectures, and manufacturing trends.

Organizational Leadership

• Mentor application engineers and foster technical excellence.
• Lead technical reviews and guide workflow design and validation.
• Promote knowledge sharing and data-driven decision making.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Typically 5+ years of experience in semiconductor process development, applications engineering, metrology, failure analysis, technology development, or similar technical roles.
• Extensive experience with DualBeam microscopy systems.
• Expertise in semiconductor TEM sample preparation.
• Experience developing automated microscopy or sample preparation workflows.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor process development, metrology, failure analysis, or technology development.
• Experience translating customer requirements into technical solutions.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects independently.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to collaborate across global, cross-functional teams.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 30–50%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise in automated TEM sample preparation.
• Experience with machine learning, computer vision, Python, or process automation.
• Experience defining requirements for hardware or software development.
• Experience working directly with semiconductor customers.
• Publications, patents, conference presentations, or recognized industry leadership.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary development efforts.

Success in This Role

Successful candidates will:

• Lead complex application development initiatives.
• Influence product strategy through customer and application expertise.
• Deliver scalable workflows that improve customer productivity.
• Mentor engineers and strengthen technical capability.
• Help shape next-generation semiconductor workflow solutions.