Senior Engineer, Product Improvement Engineering

The Role  

Entegris is seeking a Product Improvement Engineer (PIE) in our Hillsboro, OR location to lead technical problem solving and continuous improvement for our Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) polishing pad products. This role is responsible for driving end-to-end resolution of customer quality issues, leading cross functional engineering efforts, and ensuring our products consistently meet the highest performance standards.  

This is a hands-on engineering leadership role, not a coordinator position. The PIE owns the technical path from problem definition through investigation, solution implementation, verification, and communication. Success requires strong analytical capability, excellent communication, disciplined time and meeting management, and the ability to influence teams across the organization.  

What You’ll Do  

Lead Customer Issue Resolution  

• Own the full lifecycle of customer quality issues and performance requests, ensuring timely, rigorous, and transparent resolution.  

• Serve as the primary facilitator of 8D investigations, driving clear problem statements, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and verification.  

• Engage directly with our customer facing functions when needed to communicate findings, present data, and build confidence in solutions.  

Drive Cross Functional Engineering Efforts  

• Lead teams across Operations, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Systems, R&D, and customer facing groups to align priorities and execute solutions.  

• Establish effective meeting structures, ensuring clear agendas, action owners, timelines, and followthrough.  

• Influence stakeholders at all levels to maintain momentum and accountability.  

Develop Deep Technical & Process Understanding  

• Build strong knowledge of internal manufacturing processes, product design, and material behavior.  

• Develop a deep understanding of customer applications and performance requirements.  

• Identify process limitations and lead engineered solutions to improve product capability and reliability.  

Analyze Data & Drive Continuous Improvement  

• Apply statistical tools, DOE, and multivariate analysis to uncover insights and validate solutions.  

• Lead Continuous Improvement Projects (CIPs) focused on product performance, process capability, and longterm quality.  

Communicate Clearly & Effectively  

• Translate complex technical findings into clear, concise presentations for customers, suppliers, and internal leadership.  

• Document learnings and best practices to strengthen organizational knowledge and prevent recurrence.  

What We Seek 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or related field. (BSE + 5 years, MSE + 3 years, or PhD preferred; equivalent experience considered.)  

• Strong background in process engineering with demonstrated ability to analyze complex process–performance interactions.  

• 2+ years of experience leading engineering projects and/or cross functional teams.  

• Hands on experience with structured problem-solving methodologies (8D, DMAIC, etc.).  

• Technical proficiency with material characterization tools (DMA, tensile, TMA, rheometry, mDSC, SEM) and ASTM/ISO standards.  

• Strong statistical aptitude, including DOE, correlation analysis, and modeling.  

• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence without authority.  

• Ability to work independently, manage time effectively, and prioritize across multiple projects.  

• Ability to work in cleanroom environments and lift up to 20 lbs.  

• Occasional evening meetings and occasional travel may be needed. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Advanced degree with hands-on research experience.  

• Experience in semiconductor manufacturing, CMP, or polymer materials.  

• 5+ years of formal technical, operations or project leadership experience.