Engineering Manager

Humanetics•Greenville, SC

About The Position

The Engineering Manager directs and coordinates the Engineering Department to translate customer needs into manufacturable designs using appropriate, cost-effective processing methods and test protocols. The role combines engineering expertise, process knowledge, and business acumen to support successful project outcomes and customer satisfaction. The position manages and mentors the engineering team, collaborates with Sales and customers on product development and sales opportunities, and leads product commercialization from concept through prototype and ramp-up. It develops product designs and supporting specifications, drawings, bills of materials, routings, cost estimates, procedures, work instructions, test protocols, outside-process requirements, and packaging requirements. The role also conducts and reports on research and testing related to product performance, reliability, test and process variability, and material performance. The Engineering Manager applies manufacturing engineering and data-analysis methods to develop scalable, manufacturable, cost-efficient processes; investigates and resolves customer product and test issues; and prepares reports, presentations, product documentation, and demonstrations. The position requires hands-on work with fiber-optic systems and optical test equipment, optical-system modeling, knowledge of relevant materials, and occasional travel to customers and other OpTek sites.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
At least 8 years of experience in fiber optics, photonics, precision laser-based manufacturing, or equivalent experience.
Proficiency in precision measurement techniques and tools for optical and mechanical validation.
Strong skills in 3D mechanical design software for core designs, assemblies, and packaging.
In-depth knowledge of optics and fiber-optics design, validation, and manufacturing processes.
Hands-on use of fiber-optic systems, including fiber coupling, alignment, splicing, connectors, lensing, and cleaving.
Experience using optical test equipment such as OTDRs, light sources, power meters, interferometers, polarization extinction ratio test sets, beam profilers, imaging equipment, and precision metrology.
Ability to model optical systems using data, including beam propagation, coupling efficiency, and insertion loss.
Understanding of materials and material systems, including glasses, polymers, epoxies, adhesives, ceramics, metals, and optical coatings.
Ability to apply project-management approaches to deliver project scope, schedule, and cost.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Experience in fiber-optic product design, such as sensors and assemblies.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day oversight and management of the engineering team, including mentoring.
Work with Sales and customers, providing expertise in optical fiber technologies, lens design, precision optical assembly, and testing to support product development and sales opportunities.
Lead product commercialization from concept through prototype and ramp-up.
Generate product designs using design-for-manufacturability protocols, simulation, and modeling tools.
Define and develop specifications, designs, drawings, bills of materials, routings, cost estimates, procedures, work instructions, test protocols, outside processes, and packaging requirements.
Plan, coordinate, analyze, and report on research testing into product performance and reliability, test variability, process performance and variability, and material performance.
Apply manufacturing engineering skills to ensure product designs are scalable and manufacturable.
Conduct experiments and data analysis to develop cost-efficient commercial manufacturing processes.
Work with customers to investigate and resolve product performance and test issues.
Develop, document, and improve test and process procedures with written instructions.
Resolve customer technical issues, both pre-sales and post-sales.
Perform statistical analysis as part of data analysis and write reports on test results.
Prepare and present studies to internal and external customers.
Create product documentation, presentations, and demonstrations highlighting company capabilities.
Stay current with fiber optics, laser and optical technologies, industry trends, and market trends.
Apply project-management practices to deliver scope, schedule, and cost.
Travel occasionally to customer locations and other OpTek sites.
Perform other duties as assigned.