Principal Applications Scientist – Mass Spectrometry

Job Title : Principal Applications Scientist – Mass Spectrometry

Location : Milpitas, California, USA

Industry : Manufacturing/Industrial/Production/Machinery

Salary : To Be Discussed

Required Citizenship / Work Permit / Visa Status: US Citizen, Green Card holders

The Opportunity

The successful Principal Applications Scientist candidate will report to the

Director of Applications and will work closely with other functions of the

company, including business development, marketing, sale, and engineering. The

Principal Applications Scientist is responsible for leading the development efforts

of application-specific solutions around Aston; the company’s flagship product. He

is expected to play a major role in leading technical engagements with customers

in the area semiconductor manufacturing and its vertical applications, preparing

and presenting customer-facing material, contributing to product roadmaps, and

supporting new product definition and introduction.

Responsibilities

• Develop intricate operational knowledge of MS products under

development.

• Provide hands-on experience with instrument configuration, calibration,

validation, and performance testing.

• Develop new market-driven applications in concert with potential

customers.

• Support Aston evaluations at semiconductor OEMs and fabs
• Provide on-site setup, debug, and performance analysis of Aston systems
• Identify key application-specific requirements early in the customer

engagements process

• Develop application-specific Aston solution bundles based on tailored HW

and SW features

• Develop a support plan and an execution timeline for key customer

engagements

• Strengthen key customer relations through technical competence and

relationship management skills.

• Identify new application opportunities and write internal or customer-

facing proposals

• Deliver customer-facing presentations and conduct pre-sale product

demonstrations.

• Develop and deliver HW/SW-related operational training sessions to

customers.

• Acquire and analyze samples from prospective customers and provide

sample analysis data reports to actively close sales opportunities.

• Contribute to and support definitions of next generation product

roadmaps.

• Contribute to product development efforts by breaking down system

specifications into component performance requirements and participate

in the development review process.

Educational & Experience Required

• M.Sc. degree with 6+ years’ work experience or Ph.D. with 2+ yrs. work

experience in Physics, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, or a related field

• 5+ years hands-on experience with the development of mass-spectrometry

based solutions for novel applications.

• Experience with analytical instruments such as mass spectrometers, gas

analyzers, or plasma diagnostics

• Familiarity with semiconductor manufacturing processes (etch, CVD, ALD)
• Sound understanding of the new product introduction process, including

the definition of new product requirements, prototypes evaluation, and

ability to diagnose and debug systems level issues.

• Proven success in delivering customer-facing presentations and conducting

pre-sale product demonstrations.

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Knowledge of control hardware e.g. PLC and software scripting using

platforms e.g. Python and Lab-view is desirable.

• Up to 30% domestic and international travel expectations

Soft Skills

• Self-motivated and comfortable working in early-stage or dynamic

environments

• Strong team-building personality and collaborative mindset

Performance Metrics per Agreed Upon KPIs

• Excellence in managing customer relationships
• Achieving high customer satisfaction
• Achieving high rate of successful Aston evaluations

Career Opportunities

Potential path toward product management or field solutions leadership.