Advanced Commercialization Engineer IV (ACE Engineer IV)

Who We Are

Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next‑generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.

What We Offer

Salary: $116,000.00 - $159,500.00 Location: Kalispell,MT You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

General Profile

The Advanced Commercialization Engineer IV for the New Product Commercial team (NPC) acts as a senior technical authority driving early commercialization of first‑in‑world semiconductor equipment by shaping architecture, manufacturability, cost intent, and supply readiness before design lock. Operates at the front end of the product lifecycle to ensure design intent, supplier capability, and manufacturing strategy are aligned while leverage is highest. Solves complex, ambiguous problems with a systems‑level perspective to enable scalable execution downstream Provides technical program leadership across engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing to ensure early technical decisions translate into executable, scalable results. Exercises significant judgment in balancing technical, commercial, and operational trade‑offs.

Key Responsibilities

• Leads front-end commercialization engineering engagement during concept, architecture, and early design phases to influence manufacturability, cost, scalability, reliability, and serviceability.
• Provides advanced Design for Excellence (DFx) leadership (DfM, DfA, DfC, DfS, DfR, ITO, transportability) to drive early design decisions and prevent downstream issues.
• Engages suppliers as key technical partners, leading hands‑on co‑development, capability assessments, manufacturing process development, and TRM alignment for complex parts and assemblies. Works directly with suppliers and Design Engineering to ensure supplier capability and manufacturing learning influence design before lock.
• Acts as a technical co‑owner of product definition, challenging architecture, material selection, tolerances, modularity, and integration decisions using data, modeling, and build experience.
• Applies should‑cost principles and manufacturing process economics to identify and eliminate cost risk in design before it becomes a supplier negotiation problem; uses knowledge of process sequencing, GD&T implications, and feature complexity to challenge design decisions and prioritize DFx actions with the highest cost and producibility impact. Collaborates with Product Cost Engineering to validate cost assumptions and align on DFx recommendations.
• Defines and drives the Master Layout (MLO) strategy when design maturity is incomplete, determining the minimum viable layout content and interface definition required to enable Virtual Analysis (VA) progression.
• Executes Virtual Analysis (VA) using partial models and evolving designs, preserving design intent while identifying manufacturability, serviceability, and producibility risks; clearly documents assumptions, constraints, and required design clarifications.
• Influences Design Engineering to resolve ambiguity that blocks commercialization readiness, ensuring manufacturing strategy, producibility considerations, and supplier constraints are comprehended and reflected in the forward design path.
• Analyzes complex mechanical and electrical designs to ensure producibility and scalability; leads virtual analysis including Master Layout (MLO) and validates designs through supplier trials, lab activity, and early physical builds.
• Identifies and mitigates commercialization risks including RTM readiness, SPOFs, capacity constraints, long‑lead components, cost risk, and quality exposure.
• Influences manufacturing and sourcing strategies in partnership with Design Engineering, Supply Chain, DFx, and Materials teams.
• Participates in and leads design reviews, providing authoritative DFx and commercialization input focused on cost, quality, cycle time, and scalability.
• Drives engineering build and ELS learning cycles, ensuring issues are captured, reviewed and mitigated while preserving DFx intent through launch and transition to NPI; ensures build and supplier learning is converted into permanent engineering action rather than deferred downstream.
• Partners with Program Management and Materials Program Management to track DFx and commercialization inputs as tangible program deliverables.
• Leads proactive elimination of design, supplier‑process, and producibility risks across assigned subsystems, driving toward zero preventable SPSs. Ensures issues identified through VA, supplier engagement, and physical builds result in timely engineering‑driven ESWs, ECOs, RCCA, and durable corrective action.
• Mentors less‑experienced engineers and contributes to best‑known methods (BKMs), tools, and processes.
• Develops and drives technical execution plans for DFx and commercialization workstreams from concept through early builds, aligned with overall program objectives.
• Provides technical execution leadership across DFx and commercialization workstreams: coordinates cross‑functional resources, tracks and mitigates technical risks, and delivers grounded status and readiness assessments to Program Management and leadership — in partnership with TPMs and MPMs.
• Establishes and governs the approach for progressing commercialization and virtual validation when designs are incomplete, ensuring early decisions preserve architectural intent while enabling forward manufacturing and supplier strategies.

Functional Knowledge

Demonstrates depth and/or breadth of expertise in mechanical and/or electrical engineering disciplines with strong working knowledge of manufacturing processes — including machining, sheet metal, frames, plastics, and precision fabrication — DFx, and supplier engagement practices. Possesses working knowledge of should‑cost principles and manufacturing process economics as applied to producibility and cost risk assessment; uses cost awareness to challenge design decisions and prioritize DFx actions. Possesses broad understanding of the product lifecycle from concept through commercialization.

Business Expertise

Interprets internal and external business challenges and market drivers; recommends product, process, or service improvements to enhance competitiveness, cost structure, and scalability.

Leadership

May lead functional teams or projects with moderate resource requirements, risk, and complexity. Acts as a technical influencer across engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing organizations.

Problem Solving

Leads cross‑functional teams to resolve complex, multi‑disciplinary technical issues with program‑level impact, balancing performance, cost, risk, and time‑to‑market. Forges a path forward in high ambiguity by translating incomplete design artifacts into a defensible MLO strategy and virtual validation plan, balancing design intent with commercialization, manufacturability, and supplier reality.

Impact

Impacts the achievement of customer, operational, and program objectives by influencing technical decisions, execution readiness, and cross‑functional alignment across multiple organizations.

Interpersonal Skills

Communicates complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively. Negotiates and influences others to adopt different points of view across disciplines and organizational boundaries.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Process Engineering, or related engineering discipline.

Advanced knowledge of manufacturing process engineering or process economics is a differentiating asset at this level.

Experience

Typically 7–10 years of relevant engineering experience in product development, DFx, new product manufacturing, supplier engineering, or commercialization.

Additional Information

Time Type: Full time Employee Type: Assignee / Regular Travel: Yes, 10% of the Time Relocation Eligible: Yes The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable. For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e‑mail at View email address on click.appcast.io, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at View phone number on click.appcast.io, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.