Silicone Bonding Engineer

Working at Watlow

Watlow is a global technology and manufacturing leader who provides world class engineering expertise through innovative thermal products and systems, enabling our customers to thrive. We are making a positive impact every day as our solutions enrich the lives of people everywhere. We have been providing breakthrough thermal solutions for nearly a century. Our corporate values guide us uncompromisingly to always do the right thing, continually learn and improve, respect everyone, and lead with service and humility.

Silicone Bonding Engineer- NPD San Jose

Key Responsibilities:Product and Process Development:

• Design, develop, and characterize silicone bonding and sealing processes (e.g., adhesive bonding, primer application, self-bonding, plasma/ corona treatment).
• Design and execute Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize process parameters for strength, durability, throughput, and cost.
• Establish critical process parameters and control limits.
• Collaborate with customer engineering teams to develop semiconductor in-chamber bonding solutions.
• Research and develop new materials for NPD projects, considering diverse customer requirements.
• Identify opportunities for new materials in our current processes and lead their development.
• Apply lean product development tools and principles to drive efficiency and value.
• Perform cost analysis of designs and support market research initiatives.

Material Selection & Evaluation:

• Evaluate and select appropriate silicone materials, adhesives, primers, and surface treatments for specific applications.
• Collaborate with material suppliers to test and qualify new materials and technologies.
• Understand the chemistry and cure kinetics of silicone adhesives (RTV, LSR, HCR) and their impact on the bonding process.

Technical Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis:

• Serve as the technical expert for troubleshooting bonding-related issues in both prototyping and manufacturing environments.
• Lead root cause analysis investigations for bond failures and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Address challenges related to contamination, surface energy, and environmental stress.

Validation & Documentation:

• Develop and execute process validation protocols for new or modified bonding processes.
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation, including work instructions, standard operating procedures, engineering reports, and technical specifications.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Design Engineers, Product Development, Quality Assurance, and Production teams to ensure design for manufacturability and successful product launches.
• Provide technical guidance and training to production technicians and operators.

Testing & Analysis:

• Develop test methods to characterize bond strength, durability and mechanical properties (e.g., lap shear, tensile, peel, thermal conductivity, electrical properties…).
• Analyze bond failure modes using various techniques including use of outside labs (e.g., ICP-MS, SEM-EDS, FTIR) to understand failure mechanisms.

Product and Process Design and Testing:

• Understand customer needs and design/research new materials and processes to meet them.
• Define product architecture and test requirements, specifying comprehensive test plans.
• Manage agency certifications for new products (UL, CE, CSA, VDE, etc.).
• Evaluate competitive products and propose new/alternative designs for our customers.

Quality Assurance:

• Conduct technical peer reviews and approve analyses of failed or returned materials.
• Define disposition criteria for non-conforming products and qualify new suppliers.
• Develop and improve supplier and subcontractor relationships.

Technical Support and Leadership:

• Provide training to sales personnel on product applications.
• Coach and mentor less experienced engineers, fostering knowledge sharing and professional growth.
• Lead major and minor projects, defining scope, objectives, and timelines.
• Utilize advanced systematic and creative problem-solving tools to address complex challenges.

What You'll Bring:

• Advanced technical expertise in silicone polymer chemistry and other bonding materials.
• Strong knowledge of bonding dissimilar material components together.
• Deep understanding of silicone chemistry, surface science, and adhesion mechanisms.
• Proven experience with surface treatment techniques (plasma, corona, chemical priming).
• The application and processing methods of bonding for silicone polymers.
• Knowledge of equipment that is used for testing and qualifying silicone polymers.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and teams.
• Demonstrated understanding of financial aspects of projects, including value stream profitability.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills with both internal and external stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Material Science Engineer, Polymer Chemistry or other related engineer degree with 4 or more years of experience working in NPD/NPI.
• Experience with automation of dispensing, coating, or bonding processes.
• Hands-on experience with Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) and High Consistency Rubber (HCR) processing.
• Preferred: Experience working in the semiconductor industry

Benefits: The Watlow Total Compensation Plan

The health, well-being and financial stability of you and your family is a high priority to us.The Watlow Total Rewards Plan includes competitive compensation and a full range of life and career enhancing benefits:

• Annual Incentive Program
• 401(k) plan that includes a company match on your contribution and an annual company contribution that is tied to company performance
• Wellness incentives
• Employee Personal Assistance Program
• Dental, medical, vision and short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Paid holidays, personal time, and vacation
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement

Diversity & Inclusion

We proactively embrace diversity in all its dimensions across our company and cultivate a culture of inclusion and forward thinking that respects and reflects each team member's individual strengths, views, and experiences. Watlow takes pride in being an inclusive equal opportunity employer and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Please let us know confidentially if you need or require any special accommodations to participate in our recruiting process by emailing us