Equipment Maintenance Specialist

IDEX•Santa Ana, CA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

If you’re looking for a special place to build or grow your career, you’ve found it. Whether you’re an experienced professional, a recent college graduate or somewhere in between, IDEX is a place where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones in an environment where you can make an impact. With interesting opportunities in engineering, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, HR, finance, and more across more than 40 diverse businesses around the globe, chances are, we have something special for you. About the Company: STC Material Solutions (STC) is an innovative Vermont-based manufacturer of high precision, high performance ceramic components for use in medical, aerospace and defense applications, as well as in many semiconductor and industrial manufacturing processes. Our components are even in Mars Rover! The company is now part of IDEX Corporation, a US-based Fortune 500 company focused on technological innovation and niche manufacturing. This business combination allows us to offer you the best of two worlds. In the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Manager role at STC you’ll enjoy the collaborative and friendly culture that seems to be the hallmark of the very best Vermont-based businesses. At the same time, you will be challenged to learn and grow on our team as you help us on our journey to build world-class analytical and reporting practices that suit the IDEX environment. IDEX is committed to professional development at every level. If you are top performer interested in developing your career beyond Vermont and within an American corporation with locations around the US and the world, you will have opportunities for advancement here and elsewhere in the organization. Job Summary: The Equipment Maintenance Specialist ensures the reliable operation of production equipment used in brazing, plating, sputtering, and inspection processes at STC Material Solutions. This role requires hands-on troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, reverse engineering when needed, and coordination with vendors. It is key to minimizing downtime and supporting quality and delivery.

Requirements

5+ years of relevant hands-on technical experience in a manufacturing or R&D environment
Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude; familiarity with vacuum, high-temperature, and clean-room compatible equipment
Licensed electrician preferred; but not required
Demonstrated ability to work without complete documentation, applying reverse-engineering approaches when required
Comfortable working safely with high-temperature, high-voltage, and gas systems (e.g., hydrogen, vacuum)
Strong communication skills; able to clearly convey technical findings and collaborate across teams
Willingness to travel occasionally for equipment evaluations
Familiarity with plating processes, vacuum testing, or thin/thick film deposition
Experience with sensors, basic automation, or PLC interfaces
Technical certifications in maintenance, controls, or industrial systems
Understanding of contamination control, cleanroom standards, or precision metrology tools

Responsibilities

Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair critical equipment related to clean-room, thermal processing, plating, deposition, and inspection systems—including hydrogen and vacuum furnaces, sputtering systems, gold/nickel plating lines, vacuum leak testers, XRF, profilometers, and drying ovens.
Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment issues that affect production output, process consistency, or product quality.
Develop and update preventive maintenance schedules and work instructions to ensure reliable equipment operation.
Manage and maintain maintenance documentation for all production and process equipment.
Maintain/upgrade/create and regularly update a centralized database of equipment conditions, service history, and maintenance activities.
Collaborate with production, quality, and engineering teams to align equipment performance with process requirements.
When necessary, reverse engineer mechanical, electrical, or control systems to restore or improve function.
Interface with equipment vendors and external service providers for repair, parts sourcing, and technical consultation.
Travel on occasion to evaluate new or used equipment for suitability to IJ Research processes (e.g., brazing, sputtering, plating, etc.).
Participate in or lead equipment installations and facility upgrades related to utilities and infrastructure.
Maintain proper documentation of work performed, including equipment logs and service reports.