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Enhancing Performance, Productivity, and Profitability

Physical Electronics USA Inc. (PHI) is a subsidiary of ULVAC-PHI, the world's leading supplier of UHV surface analysis instrumentation. PHI’s innovative XPS, AES, and SIMS technologies provide our customers with unique tools to solve challenging materials problems and accelerate the development of new processes and products. As the only supplier that provides a full range of high-performance XPS, AES, and SIMS surface analysis instruments, PHI is in a unique position to provide complete surface analysis solutions to potential clients in a broad range of high technology fields including the following: nanotechnology, microelectronics, storage media, catalysis, bio-materials, pharmaceuticals, and basic materials such as metals, polymers, composites and coatings.

At PHI, our success is powered by people and technology. Employee appreciation and recognition, total employee wellness and shared celebration of company success are just a few of our top priorities. Employees enjoy paid holidays and vacation, as well as an unlimited PTO benefit to help balance work, life, and everything in between. Some of our most-loved benefits include department hosted lunches, employee-led wellness activities, on-site gym, employer contribution to H.S.A. and safe-harbor 401k contributions. Medical, dental and employer paid life insurance benefits are available. Student tuition reimbursement, ongoing education and training opportunities, and employer matched charitable contributions are also available to employees.

Physical Electronics USA is an Affirmative Action employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees according to all applicable equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, directives and regulations of federal, state and local governing bodies and agencies. In keeping with this commitment, Physical Electronics USA will recruit and hire the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, disability, age, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam era, special disabled, or or other covered veteran.

CURRENT OPENINGS (2)

Senior Staff Scientist – SIMS

PHI is seeking a dynamic and technically skilled Senior Staff Scientist with experience in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) to join our Analytical Laboratory team. In this role, the scientist will serve as a technical leader in dynamic, static, and time-of-flight (TOF) SIMS for the company, providing advanced guidance and expertise for customer demonstrations, technical sales support, training, marketing, product feedback, plus method and strategic application development.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Own PHI's technical position on the SIMS competitive landscape, market trends, and emerging industry applications, serving as the internal technical authority and external voice on SIMS capabilities, positioning, and differentiation.
Take ownership of the demonstration portion of the sales process: plan and perform customer instrument demonstrations, including sample strategy, data acquisition and interpretation, plus preparation of clear technical reports that communicate both analytical results and PHI instrument advantages.
Provide technical sales support throughout the sales cycle, including responses to product questions, application feasibility assessments, tender documentation, and customer-facing technical discussions.
Prepare and deliver technical training for PHI customers and sales personnel, including development of training materials and application-focused content.
Create and contribute to marketing materials, including product literature, presentations, application notes, research publications, and conference content that highlight PHI SIMS capabilities and product differentiation.
Conduct competitive product analyses, including evaluation of technical performance, application strengths, and market trends.
Develop novel applications and analytical strategies that demonstrate the value of PHI instrumentation across advanced materials,
Identify emerging applications, including customer requirements that may lead to competitive advantage through internal development or external collaboration.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior staff, when appropriate.

Qualifications

PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a related field preferred with 7+ years of experience; Master’s degree considered with significant relevant experience.
Hands-on expertise in dynamic SIMS and TOF-SIMS instrumentation, applications, data analysis, and interpretation.
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information clearly to customers, sales teams, scientists, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing technical reports, presentations, training materials, publications, or marketing content.
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with sales, marketing, product development, R&D, customer service, and international teams.
Experience supporting customer demonstrations, technical sales activities, application development, or product development is strongly preferred.
Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20%, including domestic and international travel.

Send Cover Letter and Resume to Jennifer Fredrickson at jfredrickson@phi.com

Senior Electrical Engineer/Group Lead

PHI is seeking a senior level digital electronics design engineer who can lead a small design group (5-7 members), coordinate activities with PHI’s contract electronics manufacturing partners, and be a technology leader in the design of custom, mixed signal, control and data acquisition electronics. The role will include hands-on design and prototyping (procure, build, test) of new electronics, personnel supervision, resource planning, and project management responsibilities. The electronics design group also partners with software and systems engineering in integration testing and provides consulting support to the system manufacturing and service organizations.

Primary Responsibilities:

Provide technical and supervisory leadership to a small group of mixed signal electronic design engineers and technicians.
Provide leadership in creating and managing strategic partnerships with contract electronics manufacturers.
Translate system level requirements into unit level engineering specifications. Provide development cost and time estimates.
Design, prototype (procure, build, test), document, and support mixed signal electronic controls.
Manage the work assignments of team members; provide project planning input and resource estimates; work with our parent company in Japan (Ulvac PHI) and the PHI R&D management team to create the annual engineering plan.
Maintain technical currency and ensure PHI’s state-of-the-art design capability through self-study, and continuing education.
Partner with other engineering groups in managing system level design, integration testing and documentation.
Provide guidance and support for continuing engineering for the current electronics suite for improvement and reliability.

Critical Skills & Knowledge:

Mixed signal electronics design, test & integration
Control and data acquisition/processing
Low noise, medium-high speed analog circuits
Medium-high voltage (200 v to 30 kV) analog circuits
Knowledge of state-of-the-art PCB and chassis level electronics manufacturing technology and processes.
Knowledge of best practice design for manufacturability
Embedded control system design with micro controller use and firmware development (Raspberry Pi, Python, Etc.)
Effective design project leadership: estimating, planning, risk mitigation, execution management
Competency in modern electronic design CAD tools: circuit layout, circuit simulation, firmware development, C-language & Test programing
Management acumen --- demonstrated ability to provide leadership and supervisory oversight of a small, highly technical design engineering team.
Complex hardware/software system level design, test, and debug

Position Requirements:

Advanced degree preferred
More than 12 years of experience in design of chassis level, mixed signal control electronics for highly integrated hardware/software products; 15 years of experience preferred.
Experience in the design of capital equipment for applications in scientific research or advanced manufacturing preferred.
Occasional travel to business partner and customer locations, including internationally (<10 days/year).