We Are The Future Of Semi-Conductors: It’s A Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

With the creation of Intel’s new fab manufacturing facility in Magdeburg, engineering manager Pablo Herrero talks about variety, opportunities and the impact our business makes every day.

How did you join Intel?

I came to the company via an acquisition; I actually joined a company called Infineon the day the acquisition was announced. It was September 2010. At the time there weren’t that many opportunities to join Intel in Germany, but it had been my dream company to work for. I had studied computers since I was a kid, I wanted to be an engineer and to be in computers, so it feels really good to be part of Intel. When I heard about the acquisition, I thought I had won the lottery!

What has your career path been like so far?

I started as a systems engineer, then went on to help Intel acquire a company that was producing antennae for cell phones. Intel was investing a lot in the industry and wanted to have full system capabilities, rather than only creating transceivers. I worked on the antenna and cell phone side of the business and was offered the opportunity to run a larger team; the whole radio frequency (RF) system, including the frontend design that went into a modem. After that I was ready for a different challenge and I moved into my current team doing silicon technology enablement.

Tell us about your current role.

I started my new role in 2017. I was new to semiconductors, having studied electronics and computing at university. We currently provide the design team with modelling of the silicon, so that the designer has a good representation of the hardware. I run a team in Munich and a small team in Israel.

What keeps your role interesting?

Being part of the entire process and part of the core business of the company is pretty intense. Everyone knows who Intel is; Intel has a sticker on the box and badge on so many consumer electronics devices. Working here, you can be part of all that technology; I helped to build that laptop. Intel’s brand name is a big draw.

Is there anything that you think people may find surprising?

I suppose people may think our business is all CPUs and processors, but that’s only one of the business lines. Intel has so many other product portfolios; areas like AI and automotive radar are also really interesting. When you start unravelling the opportunities, it is even more exciting – you can discover so much about the company. I’d like to let more people know that Intel is leading the way in microprocessors and more.

Do you think the variety makes Intel a great place to work?

Yes, candidates have the ability to move between product lines and rotate through different areas and geographies. I’ve done four different jobs with four different teams, and I can’t count how many different internal customers I work with. Even without changing your role, you could be working for a totally different customer and need a totally different approach or skills. There is a constant culture of learning and there are so many different things to do.

What is unique about Intel?

If you want a role in semiconductors, come to Intel. People here are so smart, standards are very high, and I’m always learning. I’ve been lucky to have great role models, and I’ve been pushed, inspired and motivated by the people around me – you really need to come and experience that for yourself. Hybrid working and wellbeing initiatives are now standard almost everywhere but it is the smartness that is unparalleled here.

How is Intel changing the world?

Semiconductors power everything – turning on your laptop, your car lights, your fridge – they run everything. World changing technology happens by enabling better semiconductors.

Why is now a great time to join Intel?

Our industry is at the core of everything else, everything runs on our semiconductors. There is a career in that. Plus, the opportunity to be in a leading edge fab that builds this scale of semiconductors is an unrivalled opportunity; being part of a company spending billions to build in Magdeburg and to create a whole EU semiconductor ecosystem. You’ll be joining a facility that is the most advanced of its kind in the world and you’ll have the opportunity to do work that’s fascinating. It’s going to be more than 20 years before an opportunity like this shows up again.

Ready to do more with your career? At Intel, we give you the freedom to push ideas and yourself. With once-in-a-lifetime opportunities at our new facility, and growth opportunities across our business, you should join our team.

Find out more about jobs at Intel Germany.