Technical Program Manager - South Korea

About Nearfield Instruments

Nearfield Instruments (NFI) is a fast‑growing scale‑up high‑tech company. We design, develop, integrate, market, and service advanced metrology machines for the semiconductor industry. Our machines enable the world’s leading chipmakers to increase production yields and device functionality, contributing to smaller, faster, and more powerful consumer electronics.

Founded in 2016, Nearfield brings together approximately 430 employees worldwide, combining deep expertise in science and engineering. We have developed a unique, high‑throughput Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM)–based metrology platform that delivers atom‑scale, true 3D metrology at industry‑relevant throughput. In South Korea, Nearfield operates from Pyeongtaek and is further expanding its local footprint, with additional offices planned, including a new location in Dongtan.

About the Job

As a Technical Program Manager, you will operate as a senior technical contributor within Nearfield’s Key Account organization in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. You will support product evaluations, new product introductions, application development, and early production ramp‑up of Nearfield’s AFM metrology systems.

This is a hands‑on, customer‑facing role positioned at the intersection of engineering execution and program coordination. You will work closely with local engineering teams and with Nearfield’s global product, applications, and R&D organizations to ensure successful technology transfer from development into manufacturing.

Your responsibilities

• Build in‑depth technical expertise on Nearfield’s AFM platforms through training with product and application engineering teams.

• Support new product introductions (NPI), including application readiness and early production ramp activities.

• Participate in experiments, evaluations, and process development activities.

• Collaborate closely with hardware, software, product, and applications teams to support troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis.

• Act as the day‑to‑day technical interface on development and early production topics.

• Escalate technical issues when needed and drive resolution together with senior engineers and product teams.

• Capture and document best‑known methods (BKMs), technical learnings, and development results.

• Support integration of learnings into product documentation, rollout packages, and training materials.

• Enable structured knowledge transfer as technologies mature toward higher‑volume manufacturing.

• Identify opportunities for follow‑on applications or hardware improvements in collaboration with internal stakeholders.

Requirements

• You enjoy working in a technically deep, customer‑facing role within the semiconductor industry.

• You are structured, detail‑oriented, and able to manage multiple technical activities in parallel.

• You communicate clearly and professionally with engineers, managers, and global stakeholders.

• You take ownership and work independently, while collaborating effectively across teams.

• You are comfortable operating in a fast‑growing, international scale‑up environment.

Your Background

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.

• Approximately 6–10 years of experience in engineering, applications, process development, or field technical roles.

• Strong experience in semiconductor manufacturing, capital equipment, or advanced metrology.

• Proven ability to work effectively in a customer‑facing or on‑site technical role.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and presentation skills.

• Willingness to travel occasionally within South Korea and to Nearfield headquarters in the Netherlands.

• Primary work location: Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

• Experience with advanced process equipment or development environments is a plus.