Position OverviewApplied Materials is seeking an exceptional engineering leader to drive the modernization and continuous improvement of our API engineering, developer productivity, and test automation capabilities. Reporting to the VP of Engineering, this leader will oversee a large-scale distributed engineering organization, championing cloud-native architecture, AI-driven development practices, and a high-velocity delivery culture across 750+ engineers.
The ideal candidate has a proven track record of leading complex, enterprise-scale technology transformations, building and inspiring high-performing teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes through technology. You thrive at the intersection of technical depth and organizational leadership, enabling teams to move faster while maintaining quality and reliability.
Key ResponsibilitiesAPI Engineering & Platform Leadership
- Lead enterprise API platforms at scale (GraphQL federation, microservices, REST) and modernize legacy .NET monoliths to Python microservices.
- Build unified API observability (OpenTelemetry) with SLIs/SLOs, and oversee search platform migrations (Solr to Elasticsearch).
- Govern API standards and architectural patterns org-wide.
Developer Productivity & Engineering Excellence
- Own a developer productivity playbook spanning Agile delivery, CI/CD, and AI coding tools (Copilot, Windsurf); drive throughput gains via KPIs (velocity, deployment frequency) and org-wide copilot adoption.
- Use Jira and productivity dashboards to identify bottlenecks and skill gaps, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
Test Automation & Quality Engineering
- Lead test automation (unit, integration, regression, performance, security) across 70+ apps, scaling to near-complete coverage with Playwright and AI test generation and cutting cycle times from days to hours.
- Drive UAT and production defects toward near-zero by embedding shift-left quality practices across the SDLC.
Cloud & Integration Platform Modernization
- Lead Azure cloud adoption and modernize legacy integration platforms, adopting iPaaS solutions (webMethods.io, Boomi) to replace aging middleware.
- Formalize change management for large-scale transformations, ensuring smooth adoption and robust rollback plans.
Organizational Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, mentor, and hire a diverse engineering leadership bench; optimize team structures and career paths across management and IC tracks while fostering a recognition-rich culture.
- Partner with product, architecture, security, and business stakeholders to align engineering with enterprise goals.
Required QualificationsExperience- 15+ years of progressive software engineering experience, with 7+ years in senior engineering leadership roles managing large organizations (200+ engineers).
- Demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale technology modernization efforts: microservices migration, API platform transformation, cloud adoption (Azure preferred).
- Proven track record of on-time, on-budget delivery of large, complex engineering programs with measurable business impact.
- Experience leading test automation modernization programs achieving significant coverage expansion (e.g., 50%+ to 90%+ automated coverage) across large application portfolios.
- Track record of building and scaling developer productivity frameworks and engineering KPIs across organizations of 500+ engineers.
Technical Skills- Deep expertise in API engineering: REST, GraphQL federation, API gateway patterns, and microservices architecture (Python, .NET).
- Proficiency in cloud platforms, with hands-on Azure experience preferred (AKS, Azure Functions, Azure DevOps, etc.).
- Strong background in test automation frameworks, including Microsoft Playwright, Selenium, or equivalent; familiarity with AI-assisted test generation.
- Experience with observability tooling: OpenTelemetry, distributed tracing, metrics, and logging at scale.
- Familiarity with search platforms (Elasticsearch, Solr) and enterprise integration patterns.
- Proficiency with Agile/Scrum delivery, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices.
- Exposure to AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Windsurf) and the ability to drive organization-wide adoption.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in semiconductor, manufacturing, or highly regulated enterprise technology environments.
- Hands-on experience with integration platform modernization (webMethods.io, Boomi, MuleSoft, or comparable iPaaS).
- Background in manufacturing or ERP application ecosystems.
- Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience with formal change management methodologies (Prosci ADKAR, Kotter, etc.).
Additional InformationTime Type:Full time
Employee Type:Assignee / Regular
Travel:Yes, 20% of the Time
Relocation Eligible:No
The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.
For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.
