Senior Robotics Applications Engineer

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world. 

What We Offer

Location:

Singapore,SGP

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

As a Systems Engineer, you’ll design, integrate, and optimize complex systems that drive the semiconductor industry forward. Your expertise in systems thinking and problem-solving is essential as you collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop advanced solutions to intricate processes and writing system specifications. You’ll be responsible for analyzing requirements, defining system architectures, conducting thorough testing, and ensuring seamless integration of subsystems. Additionally, you’ll identify and mitigate risks, confirming that our systems meet the highest quality standards and exceed customer expectations.  

Location: Singapore, CNC

Organization: AGS – CSG SBU -Service Technologies Lab

About

Applied Materials is establishing the Service Technologies Lab in Singapore—an innovation space focused on the future of automated servicing, robotics, and cobot‑enabled service solutions.

The Senior Robotics Applications Engineer is an experienced technical contributor responsible for developing, integrating, and deploying advanced robotic and cobot applications. This role operates at the intersection of robotics software, hardware integration, and systems engineering, with a strong emphasis on translating prototypes into robust, repeatable, and maintainable robotic systems.

The position requires a hands-on engineer who can work independently in ambiguous environments, make sound technical judgments, and apply appropriate engineering rigor while maintaining execution velocity.

Key Responsibilities
 

Robotics Application Development

• Design, develop, and validate robotic and cobot applications using industrial robots, collaborative robots, and automation platforms.
• Develop application software using robotics frameworks and/or vendor provided SDKs.
• Integrate motion execution, sensing, IO, and peripheral devices to deliver working robotic applications.
• Debug and resolve complex, cross-disciplinary problems spanning robotics software, hardware integration, and system behavior.
• Systems Integration & Architecture
• Own the end-to-end technical integration of robotic systems platforms, including definition of interfaces between software, hardware, and external systems.
• Apply system level thinking and robotics fundamentals (e.g., kinematics, reference frames, calibration, safety constraints) to guide architecture and implementation decisions.
• Evaluate and integrate off-the-shelf components such as grippers, sensors, and perception systems.
• Ensure robotic systems are observable, diagnosable, and maintainable.
• Engineering Discipline & Quality
• Develop and maintain excellent technical documentation, including system architecture, interfaces, and design rationale.
• Follow best practices for source control, testing, CI/CD, and configuration management appropriate for robotics systems.
• Balance rapid prototyping with long-term maintainability and scalability.
• Apply appropriate robot safety, risk assessment, and collaborative operation constraints during development and deployment.
• Collaboration & Technical Leadership
• Work closely with Technicians, Engineers, Product, Field Services and other cross functional partners to execute hands-on development and integration activities.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship as needed.
• Interface with internal teams and external suppliers to resolve technical challenges and influence system design choices.

Core Technical Capabilities

• The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate strength in several of the following areas, applied in real world robotic systems deployments:
• End‑to‑end development and deployment of industrial or collaborative robotic applications, such as automation, maintenance, inspection, servicing, or related real‑world use cases.
• Hands‑on ownership across multiple layers of the robotics stack, including robot programming, system integration, controls, perception, and application logic.
• Experience with vendor‑specific robot programming environments (e.g., UR PolyScope, ABB RobotStudio, TMflow, or similar), including commissioning and troubleshooting.
• Hands on experience with offline programming, simulation, or virtual commissioning tools (e.g., RoboDK, RobotStudio, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or equivalent) used to validate robotic applications.
• Experience with manipulation, motion planning, and task orchestration frameworks (e.g., MoveIt, behavior‑tree‑based systems, or skill‑based automation approaches) in real world applications platform (not simulation only).
• Integration of vision systems, force sensing, end‑effectors, safety systems, PLCs, and equipment interfaces in robots or cobots.
• Practical experience with calibration, motion planning, collision avoidance, task sequencing, error handling, and commissioning in operational environments.
• Strong understanding of robot safety, collaborative operation constraints, reliability, and maintainability in industrial or lab settings.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience developing, integrating, and debugging robotic or automated systems on physical hardware (not simulation only roles).
• Strong practical understanding of robot kinematics, coordinate frames, and motion execution, sufficient to diagnose and correct real-world robot behavior.
• Experience developing robotics applications using ROS or ROS2, including:
• Node based architectures, message passing, TF
• Integration of robot drivers, sensors, and end-effectors
• Hands-on experience integrating and operating robots, end-effectors and sensors, such as:
• Force/torque sensors and torque-controlled tools (e.g., torque wrenches)
• Vision systems (RGB, RGB‑D, or industrial cameras)
• Proximity, safety, or ranging sensors (e.g., LiDAR, Ultrasonic or similar subsystems)
• Strong software development experience in Python and/or C++, including debugging multi-process systems on Linux-based platforms.
• Experience integrating COTS hardware and vendor SDKs where documentation may be incomplete or inconsistent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Robotics or related discipline.
• Proven experience commissioning and deploying industrial or collaborative robot arms (e.g., Universal Robots, KUKA, FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa, or equivalent), including:
• Tool definition (TCP), payload modeling, and mass/inertia configuration
• Frame management, calibration, and repeatable motion execution
• Depth in one or more robotics domains (e.g., motion planning, perception, human robot interaction, system integration), combined with demonstrated cross disciplinary capability.
• Experience building or extending robotic software stacks beyond vendor's "out-of-the-box" functionality.
• Familiarity with motion planning frameworks, perception libraries, or robot safety concepts relevant to collaborative robotics.
• Hands-on experience with one or more applicable robotics, machinery safety, semiconductor equipment, or cleanroom standards (e.g., ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066, ISO 12100, ISO 13849, IEC 62061, SEMI S2/S8/S22, ISO 14644) is a plus
   

Prior responsibility for establishing or contributing to engineering practices such as:

• Source control strategies
• CI/CD pipelines for robotics software
• Automated testing, logging, or system observabilityExperience working within large, matrixed, or regulated engineering organizations where documentation, traceability, and design intent are required

Comfortable working hands-on with physical robotic systems.

Able to operate independently and make sound technical judgments in ambiguous or evolving environments.

Willingness to mentor and coach others and augment the combined organization knowledge base through knowledge sharing initiatives.

Values documentation, clarity, and engineering rigor as enablers of scale and long‑term