Position Summary 

The Technical Manager serves as the primary technical interface between ASM, its customers, and internal stakeholders. This role is responsible for understanding customers' technology roadmaps, evaluating competitive technology positioning, and providing strategic technical guidance to ASM's R&D and commercial teams. The position focuses on technical leadership and market intelligence rather than sales activities, helping ensure ASM's product and technology development align with future customer requirements. 

Key Responsibilities 

Customer Technology Roadmap & Market Intelligence 

• Collect, analyze, and maintain an understanding of customer technology roadmaps through publicly available information, industry conferences, and customer interactions. 

• Develop technical models and insights to anticipate customer needs and future technology directions. 

• Provide recommendations to ASM R&D teams to align development programs with customer technology requirements and market trends. 

Competitive Analysis & Technical Strategy 

• Evaluate competitor technologies, product capabilities, and technical positioning. 

• Assess customer requirements during new tool evaluations and technology benchmark activities. 

• Partner with R&D teams to develop technical strategies and demonstration plans that highlight ASM's competitive advantages. 

• Support the preparation of technical value propositions and evaluation plans for customer engagements. 

Technical Support to Commercial Teams 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for technical inquiries from the sales organization. 

• Provide technical guidance, analysis, and supporting materials required for customer discussions. 

• Translate complex technical information into clear business-relevant insights for internal stakeholders. 

Customer Engagement 

• Accompany sales teams during customer visits and technical discussions as the lead technical representative. 

• Support engineering-level discussions with customer technical teams. 

• Build trusted relationships with customer engineering, technology, and development organizations. 

Information Management 

• Utilize both publicly available technical information and information exchanged under Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) to support technology assessments and strategic planning. 

• Ensure proper handling of confidential information in accordance with ASM policies and customer agreements. 

Qualifications 

Required 

• Master's, or Ph.D. degree in Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, Semiconductor Technology, or a related technical field. 

• Strong technical knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing processes, equipment, or related technologies. 

• Experience in customer-facing technical roles, such as Technical Marketing, Product Management, Process Engineering, Applications Engineering, or R&D. 

• Ability to analyze complex technical data and market trends. 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills. 

Preferred 

• Experience working with semiconductor manufacturers and advanced technology development programs. 

• Familiarity with competitive semiconductor equipment and process technologies. 

• Experience collaborating with global R&D and business teams. 

Travel Requirements 

• Regular domestic travel within Japan to support customer meetings and technical discussions. 

• Occasional international travel to ASM facilities in the United States and Korea for training, technical collaboration, and customer-related activities. 

Performance Measurement 

• Performance evaluation is based on technical contributions, strategic impact, customer support effectiveness, technology insight generation, and alignment of R&D programs with customer requirements. 

• This position does not carry direct sales responsibility, and performance is not linked to annual sales results or sales quotas. 

Reporting Relationships 

• Works closely with Sales, R&D, Product Management, Applications Engineering, and Customer Engineering teams. 

• Acts as the key technical liaison between customers and internal ASM organizations.