Principal Member of Technical Staff Patterning Materials

Exploratory Patterning Materials – EUV

Shaping future EUV patterning materials through deep materials and chemical insight.

What you will do

You will be a senior technical leader in imec’s Patterning Materials and Process Team within the Ångström Patterning Department, responsible for shaping the future direction of EUV patterning materials and process, including deposition-based resist concepts. At Staff / Principal level, your primary activities revolve around  in-depth analysis, materials insight, and strategic guidance  above hands-on experimentation. The role bridges fundamental materials research (TRL 1–3) and fab relevant validation (up to TRL 5–6).

• Provide high-level technical leadership in EUV patterning materials with a strong focus on High-NA EUV and future resist architectures, including deposition-based and hybrid material concepts.
• Deploy a deep analytical understanding [KD1]of materials and chemistry, including reaction mechanisms, structure–property relationships, and material failure modes to lead to optimized materials and lithographic performance.
• Translate fundamental materials and chemical insights into strategic patterning and process development guidance that supports industrial partners in defining and refining their R&D strategies.
• Define and influence research strategy at the intersection of lithography and deposition technologies (e.g., CVD, ALD, MLD), anticipating scaling, manufacturability, and sustainability challenges.
• Act as a strategic bridge between academia and industry by leveraging university research and converting exploratory insights into industrially relevant directions.
• Lead and technically steer Joint Development Projects (JDPs) at a conceptual and strategic level, serving as a trusted technical advisor.
• Critically assess industry needs while maintaining an open mindset to challenge assumptions and facilitate disruptive innovation.
• Lead cross-domain technical integration across internal patterning program and process teams (lithography, etch, deposition, characterization) through active collaboration, ensuring coordinated and efficient R&D efforts.
• Mentor and technically guide researchers and students, strengthening imec’s advanced materials knowledge base.Drive external impact through thought leadership, invention disclosures, scientific publications, and presentations at leading conferences.
• Embed sustainability considerations into long-term materials and technology strategies.

What we do for you

At imec, you will operate as a senior thought leader in one of the world’s leading EUV research environments, based in Leuven, Belgium. You will influence global EUV and High-NA patterning strategies, work in a collaborative international ecosystem spanning academia and industry.

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• PhD in Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industrial experience.
• Deep, recognized expertise in EUV lithography and EUV patterning materials with a strong foundation in materials chemistry.
• Solid understanding of deposition technologies such as CVD and/or ALD from a materials and integration perspective.
• Strong analytical thinking skills, capable of connecting experimental results, theory, and simulation into clear strategic guidance.
• Demonstrated Staff or Principal-level experience with technical leadership and strategy definition.
• Ability to influence partner roadmaps and lead through expertise rather than execution.
• Excellent communication skills in a multidisciplinary, international environment.

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.