Director - Applications

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for an experienced, insightful, and forward-thinking Global Applications Director to lead application development for ActiveCopper, MacDermid Alpha's next-generation copper paste and sintering platform. There is flexibility in the location of this role which will be co-located to existing MacDermid Alpha facilities in NJ, CT, DE or San Jose. The candidate will be responsible for leading a team that owns internal applications process development efforts, customer prototypes/builds, on-site customer qualifications, equipment partnerships, application reliability methodologies and collaborative oversight of lab management. The candidate’s team will effectively leverage their expertise in material science, processing and deposition methods through structured design of experiments and statistical outcomes. The end deliverable will be a documented finely tuned and optimized paste deposition process with minimal to no defects. Additional effort will be put forth in ensuring the paste products are capable of being used in a high-volume semiconductor/electronic manufacturing environments with that achieve customer yield targets. As a leader, you will be responsible for identifying on-boarding new application equipment that is compatible and capable of achieving customer design and manufacturability targets.  

This role carries technical leadership and mentoring responsibility for the Global ActiveCopper Applications Development and Qualifications teams, including a range (manager, supervisor, engineer, technical) of engineering roles. The candidate will provide leadership in consistently achieving global alignment by helping the team define the technical path for the application development work stream, partner closely with R&D Innovation at our San Jose CA site, partner on projects with our Printed Circuit Board & IC Substrate experts at our Waterbury CT site, participate in select customer demos and applications, Application Qualification Team (Japan, China, Taiwan, S. Korea), and interact with Business Development teams across the ActiveCopper adoption curve. This leadership role will represent ActiveCopper applications directly with customers and internal stakeholders. You and your team will participate in regular global technical knowledge sharing forums.

What will you be doing?

• Application Development Leadership: Lead full development of the ActiveCopper paste deposition process optimized for quality and consistency, while advancing product maturity from Early > Capable toward Capable > Deployed.


• Team Leadership and Mentoring: Provide leadership, supervision and mentoring to Applications Managers, Engineers and Applications Technicians within reporting structure; develop both leadership and managerial skills for your direct reports; own the overall development plan for team members into subject matter experts on Active Copper application processes.


• Process Integration: Responsible for the full organization and staffing of the with the Application Qualification Team (AQT) and Application Deployment Team (ADT) to integrate developed paste deposition processes into full board builds, including preplate, sinter, post-plate, and planarization.


• Experimental Design: Responsible for ensuring the team has the required skills, tools and direction to design and execute systematic studies using advanced printing, vacuum-assisted deposition, laser stencil cutting, and sinter press equipment to generate data packages that support customer qualification and scale-up.


• Customer Engagement: Lead and fully develop the AQT applications group to have effective communication and business acumen supported by subject matter expertise during customer technical reviews and troubleshooting sessions, building trust and helping customers qualify and scale ActiveCopper on their lines.


• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Continually foster organizational collaboration with R&D Innovation, metrology, Business Development, and Product Management teams to resolve complex chemistry, process, and equipment challenges tied to Active Copper adoption. Own establishing a mechanism for collaboration to prosper.


• Metrology and Characterization: Ensure the ADT and AQT groups have metrology equipment to be successful. This includes but not limited to cross-section, SEM, AOI, and X-ray techniques to characterize deposit quality, board reliability, and process performance.


• Technical Communication: Lead and coach your organization in creating and delivering best in class technical presentations and reports to internal partners and external customers; author technical documentation and best-practice guidelines for the application process.


• Strategic Input: Provide input into the strategic direction of the Active Copper business unit based on application development results and industry best practices.

Who are You?

• 10-15 years of relevant experience, years of relevant technical experience in electronics manufacturing, materials science, or a related applications field. Likely education background: Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or Materials Science.


• Must have experience in leading a group (7+) of engineers and/or scientists. Must have demonstrated experience mentoring and development.


• Must have previous experience and demonstrated success in a global leadership role.


• Must be willing to travel up to 50%


• Strong ability lead and coach the team to problem solve through design and interpret experiments utilizing statistical analyses; proficiency in DOE, Six Sigma, or methodologies.


• Direct hands-on experience with the fabrication of semiconductor, microelectronics, medical devices, printed circuitry fabrication and materials is a plus


• Ability to link business strategy, customer applications, and technical knowledge to advance the company's commercial position.


• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with experience authoring technical reports and delivering presentations to technical and customer audiences.


• Prioritizes safety of self and team and actively contributes to a culture of safety.

What competencies will you need?

We are Offering...

Challenge Yourself and Impact the Future - You will be part of a highly collaborative culture that promotes continuous improvement through cross-functional partnerships to achieve our mission. We do this through a strong and unified culture and transparent management, which has empowered us to create high-performing global teams that achieve superior solutions for our customers. 

As part of the MAES Team, you will have...

Opportunities for career growth, competitive compensation (competitive base salary and performance-related bonus plan), and benefits packages (health, dental, and vision insurance, Wellness Program, PTO/Holidays, as well as a 401(k)-retirement plan with a company match). Innovative work environment where you will be a part of a dynamic and collaborative team.

Perks and incentives include paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and opportunities for professional development.

The typical base salary range for this position is between $174,732 and $262,098. Base pay is determined based on a variety of factors such as experience, years of service, and skillset. Base pay is determined holistically.