Staff Engineer, MEMS Process Development

Title: Staff Engineer, MEMS Process DevelopmentDepartment: R&D, MedTech & Specialty AudioLocationItasca, IllinoisSUMMARY DESCRIPTION:Knowles seeks a motivated and creative individual to work in a fast-paced, market-oriented R&D team environment, developing MEMS technology for microphones and related mobile platform applications. A strong preference will be given to individuals with experience in MEMS process integration/process transfer and characterization of MEMS devices. Individuals will also be expected to have expertise in the knowledge of the foundry integration process, the basic of MEMS technology, data mining, statistical analysis, troubleshooting, failure prediction, DOE setup. Candidate will be expected to offer creative insights and solutions for R&D and production problems, to characterize and design MEMS process windows, to help execute and analyze statistical designed experiments and to carry out written and oral reporting.SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Interface with MEMS wafer foundry partners to execute on new product introductions (NPI) work.The basic concepts of the semiconductor foundry processes are a must requirement.Fast-reacted and responsible for any new issues and work closely with foundry suppliers.Collaborate with cross-functional team to understand issues and drive the root cause for each issue to achieve a stable high volume mass production products.Create and analyze statistically designed experiments to effectively evaluate process corners to identify major risks and ensure margin for high volume applications.Develop and implement techniques for gathering and analyzing large data sets to identify currently unknown relationships between in-line metrics and final device performance.Candidate with Failure analysis skills (SEM, FIB, TEM, SIMS, FTIR, Raman, etc.) is plus.POSITION REQUIREMENTS:Master Degree or above in Engineering field (e.g. Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Physics).Candidate with Master degree must have 7 years' process experience in MEMS or semiconductor industrial field. Candidate with PhD degree must have minimum 3 years' process experience in MEMS or semiconductor industrial fieldCandidate with MEMS/semiconductor/display process integration and process transfer expertise is plus.Statistical analysis software experience such as JMP, SAS, Minitab is preferred.A strong background in communication, negotiation, DOE setup, data analysis and reporting skills.Characterization/failure analysis experience in SEM, FIB, surface science analysis, interferometry, electrical testing, etc. is plus.Knowledgeable with scripting languages; including python and JMP JSL is plus.Ability to travel overseas occasionally and participate in evening calls with AsiaCOMPANY DESCRIPTION:Knowles is a market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and balanced armature speakers, audio solutions, and high performance capacitors and radio frequency ("RF") filtering products, serving the MedTech, defense, consumer electronics, electric vehicle, industrial, and communications markets. Our focus on the customer, combined with unique technology, proprietary manufacturing techniques, and global operational expertise, enables us to deliver innovative solutions across multiple applications. Knowles, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, has approximately 7,000 employees at facilities located in 13 countries around the world. At Knowles, we are committed to engineering a better tomorrow through the actions we take on a daily basis. We believe that our focus on ethical, socially responsible, and environmentally sustainable behavior guides our decision-making processes and helps keep us accountable. Visit us at We are committed to providing a competitive and fair total compensation package for all employees. One element in our total compensation package is base pay. The base pay is $115,000 - $135,000 per year based on working experience. Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including but not limited to previous experience and skills acquired prior to joining us, cost of living in the assigned work location, assigned schedule, and salaries of similarly situated peers at the company. It is to be expected that candidates will come to us with different sets of skills and experiences and therefore will be paid at different points in the stated range. We recognize that the person(s) we select for hire may be less experienced or more experienced than the role as posted; if this is the case, any updates to available salary ranges will be communicated with candidates during the recruitment process.EEO-M/F/D/V

Created: 2026-05-09