PLC Safety Program Manager

Position Summary

We are seeking a Product Life Cycle (PLC) Safety Program Manager to lead product safety activities throughout the full product lifecycle, from concept and design through development, qualification, production release, and field deployment.

In this role, you will ensure semiconductor equipment and new product platforms meet applicable safety requirements, regulatory standards, and internal specifications at every stage of development. You will partner with Engineering, Technical Product Management, Quality, Manufacturing, Facilities, and Service teams to proactively identify safety risks, drive mitigation strategies, and ensure safety-critical issues are resolved before product release and shipment.

This position requires a strong technical leader with expertise in product safety, risk assessment, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.

What You'll Do

• Own and drive product safety requirements across all Product Life Cycle (PLC) phases.
• Serve as the Product Safety representative in concept, design, alpha, beta, and product release/tollgate reviews.
• Lead and coordinate product safety risk assessments, including:
  • Hazard Analysis
  • Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
  • Electrical Safety
  • Mechanical Safety
  • Chemical and Gas Safety
  • Thermal and Fire Hazards
  • Pressure and Vacuum Systems
  • Radiation, Laser, and RF Hazards (as applicable)
  • Ergonomic and Serviceability Assessments
• Ensure product designs comply with applicable semiconductor equipment safety standards, customer requirements, and internal specifications.
• Drive resolution of safety-related design issues, corrective actions, and risk mitigation plans prior to phase-gate approvals.
• Define safety acceptance criteria and establish objective evidence required for product release.
• Evaluate engineering changes for potential impacts to product safety and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with Design Engineering teams to integrate safety requirements into system architecture, hardware, software, interlocks, and protective controls.
• Support third-party testing, certification, and regulatory compliance assessments as required.
• Review safety-related incidents and field issues and ensure lessons learned are incorporated into future product designs.
• Maintain product safety documentation, risk assessments, test records, compliance evidence, and approval documentation.
• Escalate unresolved safety concerns that may impact employee safety, customer safety, product shipment, or phase-gate approval.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for product safety across engineering and program teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Safety Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in product safety, equipment engineering, systems engineering, regulatory compliance, or semiconductor equipment development.
• Experience conducting structured hazard analyses and risk assessments.
• Working knowledge of risk-management methodologies such as FMEA, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), hazard analysis, and risk-reduction techniques.
• Experience reviewing complex electromechanical systems for safety risks and compliance requirements.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, schematics, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify safety risks and drive corrective actions to closure.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with semiconductor capital equipment or other complex industrial systems.
• Knowledge of semiconductor equipment safety standards and frameworks, including SEMI S2.
• Familiarity with NFPA 79, IEC 60204-1, UL/IEC product safety standards, CE requirements, and applicable SEMI standards.
• Experience with gas delivery systems, chemical handling systems, vacuum systems, RF systems, robotics, high-voltage equipment, heating systems, and safety interlocks.
• Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) programs and formal phase-gate product development processes.
• Experience working with third-party certification organizations such as UL, TÜV, or Intertek.
• Experience translating regulatory and safety requirements into engineering specifications and design requirements.

Keys to Success

The successful candidate will be able to:

Identify risks → Define safety requirements → Verify design compliance → Validate mitigations → Document objective evidence → Approve or escalate prior to product release.

Success in this role requires sound technical judgment, strong influencing skills, and the ability to drive safety excellence across cross-functional teams.

Additional Responsibilities & Authority

Product Safety must maintain sufficient independence and authority to identify, escalate, and address unresolved safety risks. This role is empowered to recommend withholding phase-gate approval, product release, or product shipment when objective safety requirements have not been met.

Why Join Us?

Join a team developing next-generation semiconductor equipment and play a critical role in ensuring innovative technologies are delivered safely, reliably, and in compliance with global safety standards. Your expertise will directly influence product quality, customer confidence, and operational excellence across the organization.