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)

ABOUT SEMI

Although we’re small, we’re mighty and influence and impact society at large positively. At SEMI, we offer opportunities to connect and interact with world leaders, industry legends, and rising stars. We help our members develop public and private policies to strengthen global supply chains and promote business growth and prosperity. Learn and grow professionally through career opportunities such as rotational assignments. Contribute by influencing and impacting an industry that is the foundation for innovation and positive change in areas like environmental sustainability, thought leadership, and workforce development. We take pride in offering work-life balance so you can live your personal and professional life to the fullest.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome all to apply.

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.

ABOUT SEMI

SEMI®?is the global industry association connecting over 4,000 companies and 1.5 million professionals worldwide across the semiconductor and electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. We accelerate member collaboration on solutions to top industry challenges through Advocacy, Workforce Development, Sustainability, Supply Chain Management and other programs. Our SEMICON®?expositions and events, technology coalitions, standards and market intelligence help advance our members’ business growth and innovations in design, devices, equipment, materials, services and software, enabling smarter, faster, more secure electronics. Visit?www.semi.org, contact a regional office, and connect with SEMI on?LinkedIn?and?X?to learn more.?