The role
From Kla's own posting.
Company Overview
KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.
Group/Division
The KLA Services team headquartered in Milpitas, CA is our service organization that consists of Service Sales and Marketing, Spares Supply Chain management, Field Operations, Engineering, Product Training, and Technical Support. The KLA Services organization partners with our field teams and customers in all business sectors to maintain the high performance and productivity of our products through a flexible portfolio of services. Our comprehensive services include: proactive management of tools to identify and improve performance; expertise in optics, image processing and motion control with worldwide service engineers, 24/7 technical support teams and knowledge management systems; and an extensive parts network to ensure worldwide availability of parts.
Job Description/Preferred Qualifications
About the Role
We are seeking an AI Engineer to serve as a technical lead within a growing, operations-aligned engineering team. This role is ideal for someone who combines strong hands-on engineering capability with a passion for mentoring others and shaping how teams build and scale AI systems.
You will work alongside data scientists and full-stack engineers to deliver AI-powered solutions across internal tooling, customer-facing features, and the supporting data/ML infrastructure. The team is actively shipping; this role focuses on strengthening technical execution, improving system reliability, and elevating overall engineering practices.
While there will be opportunities to take on broader leadership responsibilities over time, the primary focus of this role is technical leadership, delivery, and mentorship.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the design, development, and deployment of production AI systems end-to-end
Contribute hands-on to the codebase and set a high bar for engineering quality
Establish scalable patterns for evaluation, deployment, and system reliability
Conduct technical design reviews and guide architectural decisions
Mentor and develop engineers, providing regular coaching and technical guidance
Support hiring efforts, including candidate evaluation and onboarding
Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to align priorities and deliver impactful solutions
Help translate experimentation into stable, production-ready systems
Preferred Qualifications:
Technical Expertise
5–8 years of experience building production software systems
At least 2 years working with AI/ML or LLM-based solutions in production environments
Demonstrated ownership of delivering end-to-end AI systems or features
Strong understanding of modern AI development practices (e.g., evaluation, prompt iteration, system integration)
Comfortable working across the stack, including data pipelines, model serving, and application layers
Sound judgment in making technical trade-offs, including build vs. buy decisions
AI / Applied Systems Experience
Hands-on experience with LLMs, agent-based systems, or generative AI applications
Familiarity with evaluation frameworks, prompt iteration, and model behavior tuning
Understanding of limitations and failure modes of AI systems , and how to design around them
Experience operationalizing AI workflows (e.g., pipelines, monitoring, feedback loops) in real-world environments
Leadership & Mentorship
Experience serving as a technical lead or senior engineer on a team
Proven ability to mentor and uplift other engineers
Strong communication skills, including technical documentation and stakeholder engagement
Ability to influence decisions and drive alignment without formal authority
Interest in growing leadership scope over time (optional, not required)
Role Scope
Primarily a hands-on technical leadership role
Emphasis on delivery, system quality, and team enablement
Opportunities to expand into people leadership over time , based on interest and business needs
Not a research-focused role — emphasis is on applied, production systems
Additional Information
Periodic travel may be required
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, or a related technical field
Advanced degree (MS or PhD) preferred, particularly with a focus on AI, Machine Learning, or distributed systems
Minimum Qualifications
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years;OR equivalent work experience
Base Pay Range: $111,900.00 - $190,200.00 Annually
Primary Location: USA-MI-Ann Arbor-KLA
KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.
Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.
Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees. KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA . Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings. KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers. If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to talent.acquisition@kla.com to confirm the person you are