Sr Manager, RF Design

About the role

Forming Our Future together

FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full semiconductor product life cycle - from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design de-bug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor's products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Rooted in our core values - Focus on the Customer, Ownership & Accountability, Respectfully & Effectively Communicate, and Motivate & Develop People - we foster an environment where diverse perspectives are not only welcomed but celebrated. Everyone can make an impact here. Whether it's improving products, supporting customers, or positively influencing peers and the community, the contributions of our people matter.

Shift: The regular hours for this position are day shift.

About the role

FormFactor is the world's leading provider of semiconductor test and measurement technologies. We are seeking an experienced Sr Manager, RF Desig n to lead a team of RF Probe Card Designers responsible for the design, development, and release of advanced RF and high-frequency probe card solutions supporting semiconductor applications across wireless communications, AI, computing, automotive, and next-generation technologies.

This role is responsible for leading a team of designers, driving technical and operational excellence, managing design execution, advancing design methodologies, and developing organizational capability within the RF Design Center. The manager is expected to champion continuous improvement initiatives that increase design quality, scalability, automation, and productivity across the organization.

As a senior manager, this position leads a professional design team, establishes departmental objectives, develops talent, allocates resources, and ensures successful execution of strategic and operational priorities. The role works closely with Product and Applications Engineering, Signal Integrity and RF Engineering, Operations, and Global Customer teams to deliver innovative, manufacturable, and cost-effective RF probe card solutions.

Key Responsibilities

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of RF Probe Card Designers.
• Establish team goals, performance expectations, and individual development plans.
• Recruit, hire, mentor, and retain high-performing technical talent.
• Foster a culture of accountability, accuracy, innovation, continuous improvement, and collaboration.
• Develop succession plans and support career growth opportunities for team members.

Technical Leadership

• Direct the production design of RF and microwave probe card solutions
• Provide technical leadership for the design of complex RF probe card architectures, transmission line structures, and probe technologies.
• Continuously evaluate and improve RF probe card design methodologies, design tools, design rules, and workflows.
• Establish and maintain design metrics and utilize data-driven decision-making to identify opportunities for process and methodology improvements.
• Drive design standardization, methodology development, design reuse, and best practices across product families and FormFactor sites to improve quality, cycle time, and efficiency.
• Collaborate with RF/SI engineering, measurement, applications engineering, and product engineering teams to optimize electrical and mechanical performance.

Project and Program Leadership

• Balance design resources to meet delivery, quality, cost, and performance objectives.
• Manage multiple complex development projects simultaneously through various stages of the product lifecycle.
• Ensure on-time completion of design milestones, design reviews, and product releases.
• Provide project status, resource planning, and performance metrics to management.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Product Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Product Management teams.
• Drive seamless transfer of new products from development into production design.
• Champion Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles.
• Lead technical investigations and corrective actions for customer-impacting issues.
• Partner with cross functional leadership to establish robust SIOP processes.

Process, Design Methodology, and Continuous Improvement

• Own and continuously evolve RF probe card design methodologies to improve quality, predictability, scalability, and design cycle time.
• Drive implementation of design automation, parametric design techniques, CAD tool enhancements, and workflow improvements.
• Establish and maintain design standards, design rules, templates, libraries, and best practices.
• Lead initiatives to reduce design iterations, improve first-pass design success rates, and enhance manufacturability.
• Develop KPIs and performance metrics to measure effectiveness of design processes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Utilize Lean, Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, and other structured problem-solving methodologies to eliminate recurring design and product quality issues.
• Lead change management activities related to design methodologies, design rules, CAD tools, and engineering workflows.

Preferred Qualifications & Experiences

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in semiconductor test, RF product development, probe cards, advanced interconnect technologies, microelectronics, PCB design, or related industries.
• Minimum 3 years of engineering leadership, technical leadership, or people management experience.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional development projects from concept through production release.
• Experience managing technical professionals and building high-performing teams.
• Experience in semiconductor wafer probe, RF test systems, or advanced packaging technologies.
• Experience leading global engineering teams and cross-site development activities.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of RF, microwave, and high-speed electrical design principles.
• Experience with RF probe cards, RF interposers, test interfaces, substrates, or related semiconductor test hardware.
• Understanding of PCB, thin-film, ceramic, advanced substrate technologies. Understanding of SMT manufacturing process.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing engineering design methodologies, standards, and best practices.
• Experience driving design automation and design productivity improvements.
• Working knowledge of DFMEA, PFMEA, Ishikawa, IS/IS NOT, root-cause analysis, and corrective action methodologies. Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, DOE, SPC, and Gage R&R principles.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Skills

ATE Testing, Continuous Improvement, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Design Methods, Engineering Management, Lean Methodologies, PCB Layout Design, RF Microwave Design, RF Simulations, Team Leadership

Education & Experience

Minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 5 years experience; or equivalent work experience | Required

Pay Range

$130,600.00 - $171,465.00

Pay Range Explained

This role in Tallahassee, Florida pays between $130,600.00 and $171,465.00 per year, depending on your experience, skills, and background. Pay may vary in other locations. We offer a full benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), and paid time off. You'll also be eligible for quarterly profit-sharing bonuses and flexible spending or savings accounts.