NexGen lists job descriptions for DeWitt fabrication plant

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Hours after getting approval for an amended tax agreement, NexGen Power Systems began listing job descriptions for positions at its plant in DeWitt.

The Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency OK’d changes in the previously approved payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement to make it consistent with the state’s agreement with California-based NexGen. The amended agreement imposes a penalty if NexGen misses an annual job target number by more than 15 percent – the previous agreement allowed a 25-percent miss.

“We’re off and running,” a NexGen official said right after OCIDA board members agreed to the changes Tuesday. He added that job descriptions would be on the company’s website, by the next day.

Jobs listed include director, semiconductor fab facilities; semiconductor equipment engineer; director, metal-organic chemical vapor deposition; manager, process integration; principal photolithography process engineer; principal etch process engineer; principal thin/films/metals/rapid thermal anneal process engineer; manager, process engineering.

Each description concludes with an email address for applying.

While there are only eight descriptions currently on the website, NexGen’s agreement with the state commits them to create 10 jobs by the end of the first year or repay $2.5 million. Next year the number of jobs must reach 30, or the company will be liable for giving back $2.5 million. The jobs numbers rise year by year, and the liability continues at $2.5 million a year, until 2024 when NexGen must have created 290 jobs or repay $2.5 million.

NexGen is moving into a facility at 50 Collamer Crossing Parkway built with $90 million in state tax money to host a different California-based company. When LED light maker Soraa pulled out, Empire State Development agreed to provide NexGen $15 million in aid to use its gallium-nitride technology to build semiconductor devices here.

NexGen says it proprietary technology will allow power supplies for electronic devices to be smaller and more efficient.

Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com.