Fabrication Manufacturing Engineer

Coherent•Budd Lake, NJ

22h•Onsite

About The Position

This role is for a Fabrication Manufacturing Engineer responsible for leading the development, optimization, and transfer of advanced polishing and finishing processes for various NLO crystal and exotic materials, including oxides, fluorides, Ge, Si, and sapphire. The engineer will drive process capability, yield improvement, and manufacturability from prototype through production. Key aspects include executing and overseeing high-precision fabrication operations, ensuring world-class optical quality through advanced metrology, and translating data into actionable process improvements. The position also involves partnering with the production floor for troubleshooting, implementing robust technical solutions, designing custom tooling and fixtures, and championing continuous improvement initiatives, including automation and robotics, to scale manufacturing excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without years experience; or equivalent work experience.
Demonstrated experience handling and processing crystals, including crystal orientation (e.g., C-axis sapphire).
Strong understanding of how crystal properties influence optical and mechanical performance.
3+ years in an optics manufacturing or production environment.
Hands-on experience with CNC machining, diamond turning, and double-sided polishing.
Proficiency with CAD tools such as SolidWorks or AutoCAD.
Experience using data analysis tools like MATLAB or Python to drive process decisions.
Strong command of Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC).
Comfortable maintaining, improving, and debugging fabrication equipment.
Ability to mentor technicians, collaborate cross-functionally, and clearly communicate technical risks and tradeoffs to leadership or external partners.
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
May be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.: Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, Enthusiasm.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or PhD preferred for highly specialized crystal or optical roles.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, optimization, and transfer of advanced polishing and finishing processes for NLO crystal and exotic materials including oxides, fluorides, Ge, Si, and sapphire.
Drive process capability, yield improvement, and manufacturability from prototype through production.
Execute and oversee high-precision fabrication operations such as CNC generating, deterministic corrective finishing, and manual pitch or pad polishing.
Work with complex optical geometries including aspheres and freeform surfaces.
Ensure world-class optical quality using interferometry (flats and spheres), X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystal orientation, and spectrophotometry.
Translate metrology data into actionable process improvements.
Partner with the production floor to troubleshoot equipment and process issues using structured root cause failure analysis (RCFA).
Implement robust technical solutions that improve yield, repeatability, and throughput.
Design or support custom fixtures and tooling to enable fabrication of delicate, unconventional, or challenging crystal geometries.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives, including automation, robotics, and advanced process controls to scale manufacturing excellence.