Early Stage Development Engineer

Corning•Hickory, NC

1d•$85,304 - $117,293•Onsite

About The Position

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use. Role Purpose At Corning, we're engineering what comes next in automated manufacturing — and this role is where that work begins. As an Early-Stage Development Engineer, you'll design, build, and personally operate the lab-scale testbeds that answer the hardest technical questions before any industrial system is designed. Working hands-on with material transformation technologies — laser processing, adhesive bonding, precision dispensing, optical alignment, and beyond — you'll deliver the go/no-go technical evidence that shapes what Corning builds at scale.

Requirements

BS in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Optical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field with 2–4 years of relevant experience; or MS with relevant internships or research experience (0–2 years).
Strong fundamentals in engineering mechanics and basic electrical circuits.
Hands-on proficiency in a lab environment — working with tools, alignment fixtures, basic electronics, and prototype hardware.
Ability to write scripts or programs for data acquisition or motion control (e.g., Python, MATLAB) and aptitude to learn new tools quickly.
Demonstrated ability to reason from first principles and draw sound engineering conclusions from limited data.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation, diagrams, and design reviews.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant technical discipline.
Hands-on exposure to laser processing, adhesive bonding, precision dispensing, optical alignment, or similar material transformation technologies; basic optics or opto-mechanics knowledge is a plus.
Mechanical design experience in SolidWorks or equivalent CAD software.
Experience with motion control, machine vision, or sensor integration.
Experience using MATLAB or Python for engineering analysis, data analysis, or simulation; familiarity with structured experimentation methods (DOE, DMAIC, or Six Sigma equivalents).
Understanding of tolerancing, alignment sensitivity, repeatability, and mechanical error budget concepts; prior experience building benchtop prototypes or lab apparatus in a university, internship, or work setting.

Responsibilities

Partner with technology leads and automation process engineers to frame and prioritize the technical questions that must be answered at the earliest stage of development.
Design and build lab-scale apparatus and testbeds — integrating mechanical, electrical, motion, sensing, vision, and controls elements — to explore and validate candidate process approaches.
Run structured experiments (Design of Experiments, DMAIC, hypothesis-driven testing) to characterize processes, define process windows, and generate statistical evidence supporting go/no-go decisions.
Develop working knowledge of the underlying material transformation physics to make sound design decisions and communicate results clearly to cross-functional stakeholders.
Produce clear technical documentation — concepts, designs, results, assumptions, and risks — to support design reviews, downstream system specification, and IP capture.
Identify scaling, throughput, and safety considerations early to ensure testbeds have clear line-of-sight to the eventual production system.