System Architect – Semiconductor Equipment

Location: Eindhoven area, Netherlands
Work arrangement: On-site
Sector: Engineering / Semiconductor Equipment

About the Company

A deep-tech company developing an advanced thin-film deposition platform for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. The business operates at the intersection of plasma physics, vacuum engineering, and advanced materials.

The company is transitioning from a successful proof of concept to a fully industrialised, fab-ready system.

The Opportunity

• Lead role with responsibility for solving complex challenges in semiconductor manufacturing.

• Full ownership of platform architecture, from initial development through to industrialisation.

• Opportunity to contribute to the development of a next-generation semiconductor manufacturing platform.

• Meaningful equity participation.

Role Overview

You will take ownership of the overall architecture of an advanced deposition platform, with a primary focus on mechanical systems, including vacuum, thermal management, motion, and interfaces with electrical, controls, and software systems.

You will define the machine architecture and ensure that every subsystem evolves into a reliable, serviceable, and production-ready design.

Your responsibilities will include deciding which components and subsystems should be developed internally, outsourced, or purchased off the shelf, balancing cost, lead time, intellectual property, and technical risk.

You will collaborate closely with mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as specialists in source technology, plasma physics, and materials science, taking responsibility for the performance and integration of the complete system.

The key challenge is transforming a working prototype into a manufacturable, scalable, and reliable industrial platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end architecture of a complex semiconductor processing machine.

• Define and integrate mechanical, vacuum, thermal, and motion subsystems.

• Manage interfaces between mechanical, electrical, controls, and software systems.

• Drive the transition from prototype development to industrialisation and volume manufacturing.

• Make strategic build-versus-buy decisions for components and subsystems.

• Optimise designs for reliability, manufacturability, assembly, cost, and serviceability.

• Manage technical risks, development priorities, and subsystem maturity.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to deliver a fully integrated platform.

Essential Requirements

• MSc or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Precision Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline.

• 12+ years of experience designing high-precision systems that have reached production.

• Deep vacuum expertise, including the architecture of high-vacuum (HV) or ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) systems.

• Experience designing or architecting semiconductor equipment used in fabrication facilities or at semiconductor equipment OEMs.

• Proven ownership of complete systems, taking machinery from prototype through to industrialisation.

• Strong initiative, independent decision-making, and the ability to lead complex engineering development.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with plasma sources, ion beam systems, or plasma processing equipment.

• Background in thin-film deposition systems.

• Experience transferring equipment platforms to contract manufacturers.

• Strong knowledge of design for manufacturing, assembly, and serviceability for complex vacuum equipment.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Lungelo Makhanya