Job Title: Senior Certification Specialist

Location: SEMI HQ Milpitas Office (Hybrid)

Department: Standards & Certification

Salary Range: $140,000 - $155,000 per year (SF Bay Area Candidates Only)

The Role:

The Senior Certification Specialist will be the subject-matter expert for a SEMI Certification program. You will drive the accreditation process with a recognized Accreditation Body (AB) such as ANAB or A2LA, lead the development of certification schemes for semiconductor equipment, and work cross-functionally with SEMI technical committees, member companies, and industry stakeholders to build a world-class, internationally recognized certification infrastructure.

This is a full-time, exempt position and reports to the Senior Manager, Business Development at the SEMI Milpitas Office.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

ISO/IEC 17065 Accreditation
• Lead all activities required to achieve and maintain ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation for SEMI as a Certification Body, working with an Accreditation Body such as ANAB or A2LA.
• Develop and maintain SEMI's Quality Management System (QMS) documentation, including the certification body manual, operational procedures, and internal audit framework in conformance with ISO/IEC 17065 requirements.
• Manage accreditation application submissions, witness audits, and surveillance cycles; serve as the primary liaison to the Accreditation Body.
• Establish and maintain impartiality committee structures and conflict-of-interest policies as required under ISO/IEC 17065.
• Develop and oversee corrective action and continual improvement processes in response to audit findings.

Certification Scheme Development
• Author and maintain certification schemes for semiconductor fabrication equipment in accordance with ISO/IEC 17067 principles, specifying applicable SEMI Standards, normative requirements, testing/inspection methods, sampling rules, and decision rules.
• Coordinate with SEMI technical committees and global standards working groups to align certification scheme requirements with current and emerging SEMI Standards.
• Define and document evaluation procedures, including product sampling, type testing, factory inspection, and surveillance requirements for each scheme.
• Establish criteria for selection and qualification of testing laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025-accredited) and inspection bodies used in conformity assessment.
• Maintain scheme documents through formal revision cycles and ensure traceability to underlying normative standards.

Semiconductor Equipment Technical Expertise
• Apply working knowledge of semiconductor capital equipment - including etch, CVD/PVD deposition, lithography, CMP, diffusion, implant, and metrology/inspection systems - to ensure certification scheme requirements are technically sound and industry-relevant.
• Translate relevant SEMI Standards (including E, M, and S-series) into actionable conformity assessment criteria.
• Evaluate technical equivalencies between global standards (IEC, SEMI, ANSI, ISO) where they bear on certification scope.
• Engage fab operators, device makers (e.g., IDMs, foundries), and semiconductor equipment suppliers (e.g., OEMs) to understand certification requirements from an end-user perspective and incorporate requirements into scheme design.

Stakeholder & Member Engagement
• Serve as primary point of contact for member companies seeking certification, guiding applicants through the evaluation process from initial inquiry to certificate issuance.
• Build and manage a qualified pool of technical experts and auditors to conduct product evaluations and factory assessments; provide orientation and ongoing calibration on SEMI scheme requirements.
• Represent SEMI in industry forums, standards committee meetings, and regulatory discussions related to conformity assessment and product certification.
• Develop training materials, webinars, and guidance documents to raise industry awareness of the SEMI Certification Program and its value proposition.
• Collaborate with SEMI Business Development, Marketing, and Government Relations teams to promote program adoption and grow the certified product portfolio.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE:
• SEMI achieves ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation on schedule, with a fully documented QMS and clean initial accreditation assessment.
• One or more certification schemes are published and operational, with member companies actively engaged in the evaluation process.
• A qualified network of auditors and accredited testing laboratories is established to support scheme delivery.
• Member companies and equipment OEMs recognize the SEMI Certification Mark as a credible, valued signal of product conformance.
• Stakeholder relationships are cultivated across device makers, equipment suppliers, and fab operators, driving broad adoption of the certification program.
• The program achieves financial sustainability through certification fees, with a growing portfolio of certified products.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS:
• Deep command of ISO/IEC 17065 and conformity assessment principles, with the ability to translate standards requirements into operational practice.
• Exceptional technical writing skills to produce normative scheme documents, QMS procedures, and certification guidance materials.
• Ability to work independently and drive complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage credibly with engineers, quality managers, and executives across the semiconductor supply chain.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Collaborative team player who can work effectively across SEMI's internal functions (Standards, Business Development, Marketing, Legal).
• Willingness to travel (15%) domestically and internationally for accreditation audits, standards meetings, and member engagements.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

With limited supervision, the Senior Certification Specialist will independently lead SEMI's path to ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and build the certification scheme infrastructure for the semiconductor equipment industry.
• Drive the end-to-end accreditation process with an IAF-recognized Accreditation Body, from gap assessment through successful initial accreditation.
• Author technically rigorous certification schemes grounded in SEMI Standards, capable of earning trust from both equipment suppliers and end-user fabs.
• Build and maintain a network of qualified auditors and accredited labs to deliver consistent, credible product evaluations.
• Serve as SEMI's subject-matter authority on conformity assessment, representing the organization in standards bodies and industry forums.
• Cultivate long-term relationships with SEMI member companies, positioning certification as a valued component of SEMI membership.

FOUNDATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE:

Required
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of professional experience in conformity assessment, certification, quality systems, or standards-related roles, preferably in a technical industry.
• Deep working knowledge of ISO/IEC 17065 (certification bodies for products/processes/services) and its implementation requirements.
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 17025 (testing and calibration laboratories) and ISO/IEC 17020 (inspection bodies) as they relate to supporting certification activities.
• Demonstrated experience developing or auditing quality management system documentation (procedures, work instructions, records control).
• Understanding of semiconductor device manufacturing processes and the role of capital equipment in the fab environment.
• Excellent technical writing skills; ability to produce clear, unambiguous normative documents, procedures, and certification scheme specifications.
• Strong project management capabilities with ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholder groups, and external timelines concurrently.

Preferred
• Master's degree or advanced coursework in a relevant engineering or science discipline
• Direct experience achieving ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation with ANAB, A2LA, or an equivalent IAF-recognized Accreditation Body.
• Experience authoring certification schemes under ISO/IEC 17067 or analogous frameworks (e.g., IECEE CB Scheme, OSHA NRTL programs).
• Active certification such as ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), ISO Lead Auditor (ISO 9001 or 17065), or RABQSA/Exemplar Global credentials.
• Hands-on engineering or quality experience with semiconductor equipment OEMs (e.g., Applied Materials, Lam Research, ASML, KLA, Tokyo Electron) or IDMs/foundries.
• Familiarity with SEMI Standards content, particularly E-series (equipment), M-series (materials), and S-series (safety) standards.
• Experience working with trade associations, standards development organizations, or industry consortia.