Tactical Engineer

Introduction

At IBM Research, we are the innovation engine of IBM. Exploring what's next in computing and shaping the technologies the world will rely on tomorrow. From advancing AI and hybrid cloud to pioneering practical quantum computing, we anticipate challenges and unlock new opportunities for clients, partners, and society. Working in Research means joining a team that accelerates discovery at the intersection of high-performance computing, AI, quantum, and cloud. You'l collaborate with leading scientists, engineers, and visionaries to push boundaries and turn ideas into reality. With a culture built on curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, IBM Research offers the opportunity to grow your career while contributing to breakthroughs that transform industries and change the world.

Your role and responsibilities

Tactical Engineer - AWS Night Shift (N1 Team)

This position is for a 12-hour AWS Night Shift Tactical Engineer, N1 Team ((e/e Saturday through Tuesday, 7:00 PM - 7:30 AM).

The Tactical Engineer - Fab Operations plays a critical role in ensuring the successful operation and continuous improvement of IBM's 300mm semiconductor research line. This position serves as the primary technical and operational lead during off-shift hours, driving rapid problem resolution, equipment recovery, throughput execution, and operational excellence across multiple research fabs.

The successful candidate will leverage semiconductor manufacturing expertise to identify operational challenges, coordinate cross-functional recovery efforts, and implement solutions that improve fab performance, equipment availability, cycle time, and manufacturing efficiency. Working closely with Equipment Engineering, Process Engineering, Facilities, Tool Owners, and Fab Operations teams, the Tactical Engineer will establish operational priorities, drive execution against manufacturing objectives, and proactively identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

This role requires strong technical troubleshooting skills, sound operational judgment, data-driven decision making, and the ability to influence and coordinate activities across multiple organizations. The position offers the opportunity to work within a world-class semiconductor research environment responsible for developing future technologies and advancing next-generation process nodes.

Key ResponsibilitiesFab Leadership and Operations

• Maintain a strong fab presence, spending 80% or more of work time in the cleanroom environment.
• Serve as the primary tactical lead during off-shift hours, coordinating activities required to meet fab operational objectives and program deliverables.
• Drive execution of daily manufacturing priorities to support throughput, cycle time, yield, quality, and productivity goals.
• Establish and communicate priorities based on engineering, operational, and business requirements.
• Act as the central point of coordination and escalation for operational issues impacting fab performance.
• Provide real-time decision-making and resource coordination to minimize disruptions to line operations.

Technical Problem Solving and Equipment Recovery

• Lead troubleshooting and recovery activities for priority-down semiconductor processing equipment.
• Coordinate cross-functional response efforts involving Equipment Engineering, Facilities, Tool Owners, and Operations personnel.
• Analyze equipment, process, and operational issues to identify root causes and drive corrective actions.
• Monitor equipment status, alarms, and operational constraints that impact fab performance.
• Support rapid recovery efforts to maximize tool availability and manufacturing output.

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Drive initiatives focused on improving safety, quality, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, communication processes, and operational procedures.
• Utilize manufacturing metrics and operational data to support decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.
• Recommend and implement sustainable solutions that improve fab performance and capacity.

Collaboration and Communication

• Work effectively across IBM, NY CREATES, equipment vendors, and partner organizations while respecting established rules of engagement.
• Build strong collaborative relationships across engineering, operations, facilities, and technology teams.
• Communicate operational priorities, risks, recovery plans, and status updates to stakeholders and leadership.
• Support team development through knowledge sharing, mentoring, and operational training activities.

Operational Ownership

• Support critical hardware movement, wafer logistics, and fab support systems.
• Monitor operational metrics and identify trends impacting throughput, cycle time, and equipment performance.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and operational standards.
• Contribute technical expertise toward research line optimization and future technology development initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Associate degree in Engineering, Electronics Technology, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of semiconductor manufacturing, equipment, process, facilities, or fab operations experience.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working in a fast-paced manufacturing or semiconductor environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and Word.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to independently prioritize work and coordinate activities across multiple organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to perform effectively under pressure in support of operational objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of semiconductor manufacturing, semiconductor equipment, or fab operations experience.
• Experience supporting 300mm semiconductor manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of semiconductor process equipment, facilities systems, and advanced fab operations.
• Experience utilizing manufacturing metrics, operational dashboards, and data analysis to improve performance.
• Demonstrated leadership through influence, collaboration, and operational execution.
• Experience coordinating equipment recovery efforts and managing manufacturing priorities during off-shift operations.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. for FOUP handling and operational support activities.
• Three professional work references.

Required education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred education

Master's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Exposure to Hardware Development: Familiarity with designing, developing, testing, and delivering hardware offerings using the latest technologies, including experience with design documentation such as Functional Specifications and high-level design documents.
• Understanding of Quality and Reliability: Knowledge of testing functional and RAS aspects of implementations, identifying and fixing defects, and providing end-to-end solutions and issue resolution in customer environments.
• Experience with Semiconductor Technology: Familiarity with semiconductor technology fab operation, including corrective and preventive actions, quality audits, nonconforming materials management, inventory management, and failure analysis.
• Exposure to Collaboration with Suppliers: Experience working with external suppliers/vendors to ensure quality systems meet market needs.
• Understanding of Manufacturing Process Qualification: Familiarity with product and manufacturing process qualification, OEM quality assurance, and manufacturing quality support.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Familiarity with Advanced Semiconductor Technologies: Exposure to emerging trends and innovations in semiconductor technology fab operation, including new materials, processes, and equipment. Understanding of how these advancements can improve product quality, yield, and reliability.
• Knowledge of Industry-Specific Quality Standards: Familiarity with industry-specific quality standards and regulations, such as those related to aerospace, automotive, or medical devices. Understanding of how to apply these standards to ensure compliance and quality in semiconductor technology fab operation.
• Experience with Data Analysis Tools: Exposure to data analysis tools and techniques used in semiconductor technology fab operation, including statistical process control, data visualization, and predictive analytics. Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data to inform quality and reliability decisions.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Research is the organic growth engine of IBM and an innovation engine for our customers and partners. As part of this mission, IBM Research anticipates and examines 'What's Next in Computing' to ultimately create and integrate the technologies the world relies upon to solve big challenges and unlock new opportunities. We create and pioneer new markets for IBM, our partners and customers as exemplified in our ongoing quest to reach practical and large-scale quantum computing. Across IBM Research, we realize the power and potential to accelerate discovery with our partners and clients by combining the power of high performance computing, AI, and Quantum, all integrated through the hybrid cloud.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

• Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being
• Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs
• Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law
• Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals
• Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.