Senior Thin Film Process & Equipment Engineer

ICFO is offering a Staff Research Engineer position for an experienced engineer or technician with extensive expertise in thin-film deposition technologies and the operation of a nanofabrication facility. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and optimizing thin-film deposition processes, as well as providing user training and technical support for the operation and maintenance of all thin-film deposition equipment in the Nanofabrication Laboratory (NFL) at ICFO..

Key responsibilities:

Develop and optimize thin-film deposition processes based on thermal evaporation, electron-beam evaporation, sputtering, and atomic layer deposition.

Characterize deposited films using a variety of techniques.

Collaborate with NFL engineers to integrate thin-film deposition processes into complete nanofabrication process flows.

Oversee the operation, inspection, maintenance, and troubleshooting of all thin-film deposition equipment, including deposition chambers, vacuum systems, and associated instrumentation.

Collaborate with engineers responsible for the laboratory’s other technology nodes to manage, repair, and troubleshoot equipment failures and incidents.

Candidates must hold, at the time of contract initiation, a higher technical or university degree in Engineering, Electronics, or related fields.

Applicants must have a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in thin-film deposition technologies, knowledge of other cleanroom-based fabrication techniques, and experience in the maintenance, repair, and operation of laboratory equipment and infrastructure.

In addition, applicants must demonstrate expertise in the following areas:

Thin-film deposition technologies, including thermal evaporation, electron-beam evaporation, sputtering, and atomic layer deposition.

Cleanroom processes and protocols.

Vacuum technology, including the maintenance and repair of dry pumps, oil-sealed pumps, and turbomolecular pumps.

Detection and troubleshooting of leaks in vacuum systems and equipment.

Design and installation of piping systems for process gas distribution.

Assessment of facility requirements and utilities for the installation of new equipment, including electrical power, compressed air, vacuum, cooling water, process gases, and exhaust extraction systems.

User support, including training, technical guidance, troubleshooting, and responding to user needs.

Procurement of materials and consumables for processes and equipment, as well as the contracting of external services.

Participation in the acquisition of new equipment through public procurement and tender processes.

A proficiency in Spanish, Catalan, and English is required.

What We Offer

This is a full-time position.

The contract offered will be a permanent contract for scientific and technical activities (ACT).

A salary according to ICFO’s approved salary scales will be offered, commensurate with the level of the position and the candidate’s experience.

Suitable candidates are requested to submit:

Presentation letter with a declaration of interest,

Curriculum Vitae, including contact details,

The contact e-mail of two potential referees.

The selection process will follow open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R) principles. It will consist of:

1. Eligibility check of applications.

2. Assessment of merits (education, experience, and language).

3. Interview with shortlisted candidates.

Candidates may contact jobs@icfo.eu for formal enquiries regarding the application, as well as address scientific enquiries to joel.moser@icfo.es. For updated information about ICFO, please visit https://www.icfo.eu.

Data Protection

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Organic Law 3/2018, ICFO informs applicants that their personal data will be processed exclusively for recruitment purposes.

Controller: Fundació ICFO – Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss 3, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona).

DPO: dpo@icfo.eu

Legal basis: performance of a task in the public interest.

Rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and opposition.

Supervisory authority: Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) https://apdcat.gencat.cat.

All recruitment files will be retained in accordance with the Catalan public-sector archival retention schedule (DOGC 2117).

Reference: 1134

31st of August, 2026