Manager, Software Engineering

Location: Hwasung-Korea

Onto Innovation is a leader in process control, combining global scale with an expanded portfolio of leading-edge technologies that include: 3D metrology spanning the chip from nanometer-scale transistors to micron-level die-interconnects; macro defect inspection of wafers and packages; metal interconnect composition; factory analytics; and lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging. Our breadth of offerings across the entire semiconductor value chain helps our customers solve their most difficult yield, device performance, quality, and reliability issues. Onto Innovation strives to optimize customers’ critical path of progress by making them smarter, faster and more efficient.

Job Summary & Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Software Engineering Manager, Korea will lead IBU's Korea-based software support team, responsible for sustaining engineering, technical support, and customer-facing software delivery for semiconductor inspection equipment deployed at our Korea accounts. This role is accountable for team leadership, escalation ownership, technical direction, and cross-site coordination.

The ideal candidate combines hands-on software engineering leadership with strong semiconductor equipment domain knowledge, including tool control, image processing/machine vision, hardware-software integration, and disciplined sustaining support for complex capital equipment in a high-volume, high-pressure customer environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the Korea-based IBU software support team, providing day-to-day technical direction, workload balancing, and career development for team members.
• Own escalation management for critical Service Requests (SRs) and Work Items (WIs), serving as the primary in-region point of contact for customer software issues, tool downtime, and matching/calibration escalations.
• Coordinate and schedule rotational support from the Tianjin engineering team to help manage peak issue volume, ensuring smooth handoffs, knowledge transfer, and consistent technical direction across rotating resources.
• Partner with IBU software leadership, applications engineers, and global account teams to align on Customer Action Plans (CAPs), release priorities, and field escalation response.
• Drive engineering discipline in the Korea team around defect management, code quality, root-cause analysis, and change control for sustaining releases.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective action for complex software and system integration issues raised by SK Hynix, Samsung, and other Korea customers.
• Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing Korea engineering team, including hiring and onboarding as the team continues to grow with anticipated new tool installations.
• Develop staffing plans and capability roadmaps for the Korea team aligned to installed-base growth and business priorities.
• Communicate program status, risks, escalation trends, and resourcing needs clearly to IBU software leadership and cross-functional stakeholders in other region.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant experience with instrument-control, automation, or hardware-integrated software systems.
• 3+ years of engineering management or technical lead experience, ideally leading a small team through sustaining support and customer escalation management.
• Demonstrated experience supporting software for semiconductor capital equipment, industrial automation, scientific instrumentation, robotics, metrology, inspection, or similarly complex cyber-physical systems.
• Strong understanding of sustaining engineering practices, including defect triage, root-cause analysis, code/design review, release governance, and change control.
• Experience coordinating execution across multiple sites, time zones, and stakeholders
• Ability to translate customer and business priorities into clear engineering priorities for a small, high-pressure support team.
• Excellent communication, decision-making, and stakeholder-management skills in English; based in Korea and able to work directly with account teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in a relevant engineering or technical field.

Experience with semiconductor inspection, metrology, wafer handling, recipe management, factory automation, or SEMI-standard AOI tools.

Background in C#, .NET, image processing or machine vision, and hardware-software integration.

Experience with Azure DevOps or similar tools for CI/CD and work item tracking.

Experience supporting customer escalations, factory acceptance, and field introduction of complex equipment platforms.

Prior experience managing or coordinating with a distributed/rotational support model across sites.

Onto Innovation Inc. offers competitive salaries and a generous benefits package, including health/dental/vision/life/disability, PTO, 401K plan with employer match, and an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) along with health & wellness initiatives. We provide a collaborative working environment along with resources, and state-of-the-art tools & equipment to promote success; and a welcoming, inclusive corporate culture where individuals are recognized for their contributions.

Onto Innovation Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

For positions requiring access to technical data, Onto Innovation Inc., Inc. may have to obtain export licensing approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the U.S. Department of State - Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. As such, applicants for this position – except US Citizens, US Permanent Residents, and protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) – may have to go through an export licensing review process.