Contract Engineering Jobs in Highlands Ranch, CO

Position Summary

The Vice President of Engineering is a senior leadership role responsible for leading Forge Nano's product engineering organization, including 200 mm platform hardening, 300 mm platform development, controls engineering, process engineering, software and systems engineering, verification, and product release. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer and serving as a key member of the executive team, the VP of Engineering will translate the company's technology and product roadmap into reliable, manufacturable, and scalable semiconductor equipment. This position will establish disciplined engineering processes, strengthen product architecture and configuration control, build a high-performing multidisciplinary team, and align technical execution with company strategy, customer commitments, quality, cost, and schedule objectives.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Leadership & Culture

• Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary engineering organization across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, systems, and process engineering.
• Establish an accountable engineering culture that emphasizes safety, technical rigor, urgency, collaboration, documentation, and disciplined execution.
• Develop engineering managers and senior technical leaders through clear expectations, coaching, succession planning, career development, and performance management.
• Define the engineering organization, staffing plan, resource allocation, decision rights, and operating cadence required to support current products and future growth.

Product Strategy & Architecture

• Partner with the COO and executive leadership to translate corporate strategy, customer requirements, and market opportunities into an executable engineering roadmap.
• Own the product architecture and technical roadmap for 200 mm platform hardening, 300 mm platform development, and related modules, controls, software, and process capabilities.
• Establish systems-engineering discipline, including requirements management, interface control, technical risk management, design reviews, and architecture governance.

Engineering Execution & Product Development

• Direct product-development programs from requirements definition through design, prototype build, integration, verification and validation, engineering release, production transfer, and lifecycle support.

• Ensure engineering milestones are achieved on schedule and within budget; prioritize shared engineering resources, resolve technical tradeoffs, and drive timely closure of customer and field issues.

Reliability, Configuration & Product Release

• Own product technical performance, reliability, safety, serviceability, and root-cause resolution for recurring system, subsystem, software, controls, and process issues.
• Implement disciplined configuration management and engineering change control for drawings, bills of material, specifications, software versions, recipes, interfaces, deviations, and release records.
• Establish verification, validation, reliability, and qualification plans with objective release criteria before transferring to Manufacturing or shipment to customers.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage the engineering budget, headcount plan, capital requirements, laboratory resources, external development spending, and technical investments to support company priorities.
• Develop effective make-versus-buy and development-partner strategies, and manage the technical performance of JDM partners, suppliers, consultants, and contract engineering resources.
• Use measurable engineering KPIs, including milestone adherence, issue-closure time, first-time qualification, configuration compliance, reliability improvement, and engineering change effectiveness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Service, R&D, Sales, and Program Management to ensure manufacturability, supplier readiness, FAT/SAT readiness, successful product launches, and effective field support.
• Lead clear executive, customer, and partner communication regarding technical status, risks, priorities, recovery plans, and product-development decisions.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, chemical, materials, systems, or a related engineering discipline (required)
• 15+ years of progressive engineering experience in complex industrial or semiconductor capital equipment, including at least 7 years in engineering leadership (required)
• Master's degree in engineering, business administration, or technical management (preferred)
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams through product architecture, development, integration, verification, release, and field support
• Strong knowledge of systems engineering, requirements management, design reviews, configuration control, engineering change management, and verification and validation
• Hands-on understanding of complex equipment involving vacuum systems, gas delivery, automation, controls, software, mechatronics, and process integration
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with executives, customers, suppliers, and technical teams
• Self-driven, highly accountable, decisive, collaborative, and goal-oriented, with a demonstrated record of delivering results in a fast-growth environment

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing and delivering semiconductor capital equipment (strongly preferred)
• Experience with industrial coating or thin-film equipment, including ALD, CVD, PVD, etch, or related vacuum-processing technologies
• Experience with 200 mm and/or 300 mm wafer-handling platforms, process modules, high-purity gas systems, controls, diagnostics, and equipment software
• Demonstrated success scaling an engineering organization from startup development into disciplined product-platform and production support
• Experience managing global development partners, JDM relationships, strategic suppliers, and geographically distributed engineering teams
• Working knowledge of FMEA, 8D/root-cause methods, reliability engineering, stage-gate product development, ISO 9001, and applicable semiconductor equipment standards

Work Environment

Most of the work is on-site at our headquarters in Thornton, CO.

Work will be performed in office, engineering laboratory, cleanroom, and manufacturing environments. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to or handle hazardous chemicals and powders at times. The employee will be required to wear all appropriate safety equipment, including but not limited to eye protection, gloves, steel-toe shoes, a lab coat, a respirator, and may be required to wear a hard hat. Strict adherence to corporate and/or plant policies, rules, and regulations in these areas is required.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

The employee occasionally will work near moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is moderate. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, talk, use manual dexterity with fingers, handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms.

Travel

Travel to customer sites, strategic partners, suppliers, and equipment installations will be required. Trips will take place within North America and internationally. A valid passport will be necessary.

Compensation/Benefits

• Salary range of $150,000.00-$225,000.00 to be determined based on qualifications, experience, and company compensation structure

• Medical/dental/vision/disability and life insurance, holidays, PTO, Flexible Spending Account, and 401(k) plan with company match.

Forge Nano is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.