GC-MS Engineer III (E3)

Location: Santa Clara, California, United States. Onsite work in a cleanroom or controlled-environment laboratory; travel up to 10% may be required. Relocation eligible.

Salary: $138,000–$190,000 per year.

Company

hirify.global develops materials science and engineering solutions for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and advanced displays.

What you will do

• Operate and own qualification, calibration, tuning, maintenance, and troubleshooting of GC-MS, headspace GC-MS, and thermal desorption GC-MS systems.
• Design and execute outgassing, cleanliness, material qualification, accelerated aging, and bake-out protocols for materials, components, and subassemblies.
• Analyze chromatograms and mass spectra to identify and quantify trace-level contaminants, including siloxanes, phthalates, hydrocarbons, amines, and other volatile or semi-volatile compounds.
• Lead root-cause investigations connecting molecular contamination to optics degradation, field failures, cleanliness excursions, and reduced optics lifetime.
• Correlate GC-MS findings with complementary analytical methods and trend contamination risks across builds, lots, and suppliers.
• Prepare engineering reports, recommend material and process improvements, support failure analysis and material review activities, and mentor junior laboratory staff.

Requirements

• BS with 3+ years of experience, MS with 1+ years of experience, or PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3–7+ years of hands-on GC-MS experience, preferably including dynamic headspace or thermal desorption GC-MS.
• Experience designing outgassing or material cleanliness protocols using ASTM E595, IPC-TM-650, or equivalent methods.
• Ability to independently design experiments, troubleshoot instrumentation, perform calibration and quantification, and drive investigations.
• Working knowledge of molecular contamination sources relevant to precision optics and proficiency with GC-MS software and NIST or Wiley library searching.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional engineering audiences.

Nice to have

• Experience in semiconductor capital equipment, precision optics, aerospace, or another industry with stringent outgassing and cleanliness requirements.
• Familiarity with SEMI contamination-control standards and optics performance metrics such as haze, transmission loss, and coating lifetime.
• Experience with SPME GC-MS, FTIR, TOC, ion chromatography, particle counters, XPS, XRF, or TOF-SIMS.
• Statistical analysis or scripting skills using Minitab, JMP, Python, or R.
• Experience supporting supplier qualification or new product introduction programs.

Culture & Benefits

• Supportive work culture focused on learning, professional development, and technical growth.
• Comprehensive employee health and wellbeing programs and benefits.
• Regular collaboration with optics, process, supplier quality, and program management teams across sites.
• Work in a controlled laboratory environment with responsibility for safety, data integrity, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Full-time regular employment with potential eligibility for bonus and stock awards.