Engineering Manager – NanoIC Pilot Line on ‘Accelerating beyond-2nm chip innovation across Europe’

Engineering Manager - NanoIC Pilot Line on ‘Accelerating beyond-2nm chip innovation across Europe’

About Tyndall
Tyndall National Institute is an international leader in semiconductors, photonics and deep-tech research and innovation. As a leading collaborative European research institute, Tyndall is a key actor and hosting partner in the delivery of the ‘Chips for Europe Initiative’ (EU Chips Act).

Tyndall is Ireland’s leading research and innovation organisation and it is the national focal point for excellence in deep-tech research, development and graduate training at the convergence of nanotechnology, microelectronics, photonics, electronics and AI. Tyndall is recognised as an international research leader in semiconductor, chip and digital technologies, particularly as applied to the fields of Information & Communications, Health & Life Sciences, Agritech & Food Security, Energy and Climate Mitigation, emerging fields such as quantum, and novel computing paradigms.

The Institute’s key objective is to see frontier research activities having a significant impact on economic development and societal challenges in Ireland, Europe and beyond. Central to Tyndall’s mission is delivering economic impact through research excellence in partnership with industry and academia. With an annual turnover of more than €50m, the Institute has a community of over 600 researchers, engineers, support staff, postgraduate students, interns and industry researchers-in-residence.

With significant committed Irish government support, Tyndall will grow to be 1,000 people by 2030, with approximately 750 researchers, including 250 PhD students. A new 17,000 m2 research building is under development adjacent to the Cork headquarters and there are developing plans to expand Tyndall’s existing Dublin research labs and to establish other research sites within Ireland.

Tyndall’s expansion is also supported by recent national and EU funding wins for significant (M€10’s) additional research equipment across a range of areas such as semiconductor processing, microscopy, quantum technologies, heterogeneous integration, ultra-high speed optical communications and RF through THz characterisation.

Background to the Role
The NanoIC program at Tyndall National Institute is a multidisciplinary initiative focused on advanced materials, integration modules, and next-generation device fabrication for future semiconductor technology nodes. We bring together cutting-edge research and industrial partners to push the boundaries of materials deposition, process integration, and functional device development.
To support the growth and success of the program, we are seeking a highly capable, hands-on Engineering Team Lead with experience in materials processing, equipment operation, experiment coordination, and engineering team leadership.

Purpose of the Role
As Engineering Lead for Materials & Device Fabrication, you will play a central technical and coordination role within the NanoIC program, with clear responsibility for engineering delivery and team leadership. This role has a strong expectation of continued hands-on engagement in process development and fabrication activities. You will work directly in the lab on key deposition, etch, lithography, and metrology tools, and act as a technical bridge between the NanoIC research activities and the fabrication environment.

Reporting to the Head of the Process and Product Development Group, you will lead and develop a team of 3–4 engineers delivering fabrication capability and day-to-day execution for the NanoIC program. Your responsibilities will include support planning, conducting and optimizing experiments, managing workflow and priorities across teams, ensuring high-quality process execution and documentation discipline, and contributing to continuous improvement of fabrication strategies, tool utilisation, and engineering standards.

This role is ideal for a proactive engineer with a blend of hands-on expertise, excellent communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to lead a team and coordinate complex activities across multiple stakeholders. Industry experience is highly appreciated.

Key Duties and Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership & Team Development

• Line-manage and develop a team of 3–4 engineers, including goal setting, coaching, and performance development
• Plan and assign work across the team, ensuring delivery against NanoIC priorities
• Build a collaborative, high-performance team culture with strong communication and execution standards
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing skills development of team members
• Establish training plans and competency development to ensure effective tool and process coverage
• Set clear expectations on delivery and service levels, managing priorities and resolving conflicts where needed

Technical Execution (Hand on Leadership)

• Take an active hands-on role in complex or first-of-kind process development work, including direct tool operation where required
• Provide hands-on technical input and leadership across materials deposition processes (ALD, PEALD, CVD, PVD, etc.), etch processes, and lithography.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and support complex process work as required, including escalation support and first-of-kind experiments.
• Support metrology (e.g., ellipsometry, profilometry, SEM, AFM) with accuracy and data clarity.
• Implement appropriate statistical approaches for process development and data interpretation to support high-quality outcomes.

Leading Integration & Fabrication

• Lead device fabrication activities from wafer processing through to release to researchers.
• Work with engineering and research teams to define process flows, integration steps, and test methodologies.
• Lead and contribute to solutions for integration challenges across heterogeneous materials and structures.
• Establish and reinforce good engineering practices for process execution, repeatability, and traceability.

Project Coordination

• Coordinate experiments, schedules, and dependencies across the NanoIC program, aligning priorities across PIs, post-docs, researchers, and partners.
• Act as a key interface with internal stakeholders and external collaborators to align goals, timelines, and deliverables.
• Work closely with relevant lab managers on scheduling, access, and practical constraints within the fabrication environment
• Establish and maintain clear documentation of procedures, results, and improvements and ensure that engineering outputs are accessible and reusable.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Identify opportunities for process improvement, standardisation, and better utilisation of available capability.
• Support training and mentoring of junior engineers and researchers, as appropriate.
• Contribute practical engineering input to discussions on future NanoIC technology directions and capability planning

People Leadership & Team Development

• Line-manage 3–4 engineers: goal setting, performance management, coaching, 1:1s, development plans, and succession planning.
• Recruit, onboard, and upskill engineers; build a high-performance, collaborative culture.
• Set clear expectations on service levels to researchers/partners; handle priority conflicts and escalations.
• Build training plans and competency matrices for tools/processes; ensure cross-coverage.

Other

• Ensure all activities are compliant with the Tyndall Quality Management system and the required Health and Safety standards in Tyndall.
• Carry out any additional duties as may reasonably be required within the general scope and level of the post

Essential Criteria

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or equivalent.
• 7+ years’ hands-on experience in semiconductor or advanced materials processing environments post degree
• Demonstrated experience with deposition (ALD, CVD, PVD) and dry/wet etch processes.
• Familiarity with metrology and inspection tools (e.g., SEM, ellipsometry, profilometry).
• Demonstrated experience in statistical methods for process development.
• Experience in device integration and process development for advanced IC or MEMS fabrication.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop engineers (line management or clear team leadership responsibility)
• Strong organizational and coordination skills, with proven ability to manage complex schedules and experiment workflows across stakeholders
• Excellent communication skills with ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and partner-facing environments

Desirable Criteria

• Work experience in the private sector (semiconductor industry, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, etc.)
• Strong commitment to safety and quality, with ability to ensure team compliance with established standards
• Track record of technical documentation and procedural improvements.
• Experience working in shared fab environments with multiple tool owners and stakeholders.

What we Offer

• Continuous Learning: Strong support for formal training, further study and professional development.
• Interdisciplinary Environment: Where academia, industry, and innovation intersect - supported by cutting-edge infrastructure and expert knowledge.
• Blended Working: Flexibility to work remotely and on-site, where the role allows.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Access to UCC pension, long-term illness benefit, life assurance, and more.
• Generous Leave: Competitive annual leave entitlements.
• Equity & Inclusion: Athena Swan Bronze award holder, with ongoing initiatives led by a dedicated People and Culture team to ensure equity for all.
• Core Values: A culture grounded in Ambition, Collaboration, Diversity, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: A proactive, innovation-driven environment that welcomes entrepreneurial and creative thinkers, including those with start-up experience.
• Supportive Onboarding: Structured induction and mentoring to help new hires integrate and thrive.
• Vibrant Culture: A collaborative, people-first workplace with a strong sense of community.

Terms of Employment
Contract Category: Full Time
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Contract Duration: Approximately 2 years

The duration of the contract is a for a fixed term of approximately 24 months with the possibility to extend dependent upon the availability of funding, satisfactory performance, mutual agreement and a detailed career development plan.

Appointment may be made on the UCC Admin 6A € 72,765 – € 92,172 p.a. Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with the public sector pay policy.

Informal enquiries concerning this position can be made to Niamh Waldron.
Closing date for application is 1pm, 29th May 2026

Application Instructions
Please make sure to attach an up to date CV/Resume AND a brief motivation letter outlining how you meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ for this role.

A full candidate information pack is available to download by clicking here.

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.

At this time, Tyndall National Institute does not require the assistance of recruitment agencies.
Tyndall National Institute at University College, Cork is an Equal Opportunities Employer.