Lead NPI Engineer, Optical Components

Coherent•Dallas, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead NPI Engineer, Optical Components will be responsible for designing and deploying new thermal and thermoelectric products, managing assigned projects, and communicating with customers. This role involves significant technical analysis, modeling, testing, and collaboration with internal teams and external suppliers. The engineer will also support manufacturing, contribute to quality processes, and apply knowledge of intellectual property. Key responsibilities include designing and deploying new products, performing thermal-mechanical design and modeling, verifying results, managing projects, and adhering to the Product Development Process. The role also requires participation in quality audits, risk identification, technology development, and communication of results through reports and presentations. Support for other team members, improvement of engineering design guidelines and tools, and resolution of product issues are also expected. In addition to technical duties, the role involves direct communication with customers, supporting sales opportunities, and developing product costing. Collaboration with the Vietnam manufacturing team and the Asian Design Center, including participation in calls outside of standard working hours, is necessary. The engineer will also be involved in documenting new technology developments for potential patent applications and understanding competitive products. Personal development is encouraged through goal review, training sessions, and participation in technical conferences. Adherence to company policies, including those related to ergonomics and housekeeping, is required.

Requirements

BS or higher degree in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering preferred)
Related non-engineering BS or higher technical degrees considered.
Demonstrated Experience Background in thermal design and engineering.
Background in general manufacturing processes.
Background in direct customer communication, with strong communication and customer management skills.
Design Engineering – 7+ years experience in thermal management design, engineering thermal and stress analysis, engineering modeling tools, and associated engineering disciplines (5+ years with Masters or above).
Direct experience with thermoelectric is preferred.
Project Management – Direct experience with product design and development processes, project management tools, and direct customer interaction.
Global Teamwork – Direct experience working within a cross-organizational, cross-cultural, global team environment.
Quality Processes – Familiar with FMEA, Root Cause Analysis, and other product quality tools.
Export Compliance – Familiar with ITAR and EAR export-compliance requirements/processes.
Microsoft Office Products – proficient with Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint (MS Power BI preferred).
3D CAD Software – proficient with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks experience preferred).
Modeling Software – familiar with engineering modeling tools (ANSYS experience strongly preferred).
Project Management Tools – familiar with GANTT charts, MS Project, and other industry-standard project management tools and approaches.
Exceptional problem identification, analysis, and resolution skills within time constraints.
Ability to achieve results both independently and working with others.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work enthusiastically within changing priorities.
Occasional domestic and international travel (<20%) required to support customers and international manufacturing.
Must be willing and able to meet all applicable requirements related to business travel (e.g., as to immigration and visa rules, public-health mandates, airline rules, etc.) into and out of (and physical presence in) various countries worldwide
Onsite, 5 days per week.
Conditions range from normal office environment to manufacturing/plant floor environment.
Must be comfortable working around chemicals and machinery.
Must be willing to comply with all onsite health and safety processes and requirements.
Must be willing to receive occasional (<20%) evening calls and support occasional (<20%) evening and weekend onsite or remote work.
Must be able to remain in a stationary position, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods.
Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with others to exchange information.
Constantly operates a computer and other office equipment.
May be required to occasionally perform strenuous work.
Ability to lift 50 lbs.
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Depending on location, this position 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.: I ntegrity – Create an Environment of Trust C ollaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas A ccountability – Own the Process and the Outcome R espect – Recognize the Value in Everyone E nthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

Nice To Haves

MS Power BI preferred
SolidWorks experience preferred
ANSYS experience strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Design and deploy new thermal and thermoelectric products with minimal manager supervision to meet or exceed customer technical requirements.
Conceive of and perform thermal-mechanical design/modeling analyses using both internal TE design software and Ansys Mechanical simulation tools.
Independently verify model and design results for accuracy using first-law principles and empirical testing.
Manage assigned projects with minimal manager supervision to ensure adherence to project delivery dates and budgets.
Effectively use application tools (spreadsheets, modeling tools, product management processes, etc.) to meet or exceed schedule targets.
Follow the Product Development Process and actively maintain project statuses in the Phase Gate project development tool.
Participate in internal and external Quality audits.
Proactively identify and communicate technical and schedule risks to management and work to identify and solve problems before they occur.
Conceive of, propose, and champion product-related technology development projects.
Communicate design and testing results to the technical community through technical reports/memos, presentations, and training sessions.
Provide status updates on project progress during weekly engineering team meetings.
Support other team members in completing assigned tasks independently and on-time.
Follow and propose updates for internal engineering design guidelines.
Contribute to the improvement of engineering design tools.
Support identifying causes and proposing resolutions to Return Goods and Failure Analysis issues.
Respond directly to product reliability and qualification requests with limited manager supervision, author reliability reports/data, and manage product specific reliability and qualification testing.
Participate in problem solving sessions with cross-functional teams to solve complex problems.
Support the manufacturing floor during prototype builds and testing of new products.
Develop working (hands-on) familiarity with our internal manufacturing processes – ceramic and element dicing, metallization plating, thick-film metallization, lapping, stencil printing, soldering, dispensing, pick-n-place machinery, cleaning processes, etc.
Develop a working (hands-on) familiarity with internal laboratory equipment – power supplies, Delta T tester, EZ tester, thermal chambers, DAQ’s, flow meters, IR camera, ACR meter, fume hoods, thermal cycle tester, etc.
Work with Procurement Team and external suppliers to ensure purchased parts meet technical and quality requirements.
Directly communicate with strategic customers in a timely and professional manner.
Portray a positive image of Coherent and Coherent Thermal Solutions.
Develop, review, and publish costing for new NPI products in a timely manner.
Support sales with sales opportunity requests, customer calls, and customer visits.
National and International travel as needed to support Vietnam manufacturing factory and global customer base.
Demonstrate high standards for ethics, professionalism, leadership, and quality focus and encourage it in others.
Effective collaboration with our Vietnam manufacturing team and the Asian Design Center. Includes participation in scheduled weekly calls (typically in the evening) with these teams as needed.
Apply standard technologies (internal and external) to new products and capabilities.
Document new internal technology developments for possible patent application.
Develop and demonstrate knowledge of performance differences between Coherent Thermal Solutions products and similar competitive products.
Publish internal technical reports.
Actively review and update yearly goals with manager.
Actively participate in available training sessions.
Participate in technical conferences and workshops.
Follow company policies, with special attention to ergonomics and housekeeping.