Lead Process Development Engineer, Optical Fabrication

Coherent Corp•Murrieta, CA

28d

About The Position

Are you passionate about cutting-edge optical systems and advanced manufacturing processes? We're looking for a talented engineer to lead the development of innovative processes for grinding, polishing, shaping, and assembling optical components and systems. In this role, you'll drive process development, mentor junior team members, create robust documentation, and deliver precision-engineered results that meet the highest quality standards. If you thrive in a dynamic production environment and have expertise in optical fabrication, assembly, and test technologies, we invite you to bring your skills and experience to our team. Apply now and help us shape the future of optical manufacturing!

Requirements

Minimum of 7 years of related experience working in a production manufacturing environment for IR lens and window manufacturing
Bachelor's in Materials Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Materials Science, preferred. Masters or Ph.D. in related technical fields is a strong plus
Experience in conventional optical fabrication is desired
Experience in assembly and test technologies is required
Experience in IR ceramic materials & manufacturing is a strong plus
Experience in optical assembly process development & metrology & tests are required
Experience in preparing and maintaining drawings, procedures, process routers and Bills of Materials with full documentation and configuration control required.
Hands on Manufacturing experience required
Optical fabrication includes any of the following areas: grinding, pitch polishing, pad polishing, CNC generating, CNC polishing, Asphere polishing, MRF, CP operation, edging, and shaping of optical components.
Test includes interferometric characterization of surfaces and transmitted wave front, MTF, stray light, focal length, magnification, and other important characteristics of optical materials, components, and systems
Strong verbal and written technical communication skills.
Computer skills in word processing and spreadsheet software including MS Word, Excel, CAD software knowledge required (Solidworks preferred).
Strong analytical, fault isolation, and problem-solving skills.
Strong organization skills and attention to details required.
Must be capable of reading blueprints.
Experience in conventional optical fabrication, assembly, and test technologies are required. Optical fabrication includes various blocking methods, fixture/tooling design, grinding, pitch polishing, pad polishing, CNC generating, CNC polishing, Diamond Turning, aspheric polishing, CP operation, Double-sided grinding, Double-sided polishing, edging, and CNC shaping of optical components. Assembly includes alignment using both mechanical means and optical methods. Test includes interferometric characterization of surfaces: transmitted wave front, reflection, magnification, and other important characteristics of optical materials, components and systems.
Experience with fabrication methodologies and development of processes on a variety of materials such as Ge, Si, ZnS, ZnSe, Sapphire, BK7, CaF2, BaF2, GaAs, Aluminum, and other exotic materials/ceramics.
Experience with various optical and mechanical fabrication techniques and development for various sizes of windows, lenses, domes, prisms, waveplates, etc. in various materials above.
Experience in process design, development and project planning is desired.
Experience in preparing and maintaining drawings, procedures, process routers and Bills of Materials with full documentation and configuration control required.
Must understand production flow and be capable of logically developing planning within this flow that correctly and efficiently builds product.
Excellent track record in developing and training junior opticians to upper levels.
Experience in setting up production cells, equipment onboarding, and facility layouts. Familiarity with equipment manufacturers, technology and capability, evaluation and selection of capital equipment.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's in Materials Engineering, Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Materials Science, preferred. Masters or Ph.D. in related technical fields is a strong plus
Experience in conventional optical fabrication is desired
Experience in IR ceramic materials & manufacturing is a strong plus
Experience in process design, development and project planning is desired.
Computer skills in word processing and spreadsheet software including MS Word, Excel, CAD software knowledge required (Solidworks preferred).

Responsibilities

Process Development and Process Control: Leads development and implementation of new manufacturing processes, tooling, and test fixtures related primarily to the grinding, polishing, shaping, and assembly of optics and optical systems. Strong skills are required in the basic principles of optical fabrication. manufacturing processes and planning, assembly and test. Fabrication includes various blocking methods, fixture/tooling design, grinding, pitch polishing, pad polishing, HSPP generating, HSPP polishing, Diamond Turning, aspheric polishing, CP operation, Double-sided grinding, Double-sided polishing, CNC edging, and CNC shaping of optical components. Assembly includes alignment using both mechanical means and optical methods. Test includes interferometric characterization of surfaces: transmitted wave front, reflection, magnification, and other important characteristics of optical materials, components and systems. Manufacturing processes developed are robust against product specifications and support quoted cost. Key process variables are identified, characterized and controlled sufficiently to consistently result in acceptable quality and cycle times. Process variables reduction is continuously engaged.
Process Documentation: Responsible for building and maintaining manufacturing process documentation for use by production personnel in the performance of their jobs. Manufacturing Process documentation includes Work Instructions, Routers, Bills of Materials (BOM's), ECN/ECO documentation, Standard Manufacturing Procedures (SMP), and data collection for the use of process development or End-Item Data Packages. The documentation packages must delineate the required steps in sufficient detail to successfully fabricate and test products as defined by customer and internal specifications.
Personnel Development: Provides guidance and training to manufacturing engineers and junior technicians. Provides feedback through coaching and mentoring. Provides administrative and technical support to engineering and operations management.
Estimating: Supports quoting activities by evaluating technical requirements, identifying exceptions, and preparing cost/hours estimates for customer quotes. Evaluates technical requirements, identifies technical risks, assesses manufacturability, and provides recommendations. Supports NPI, Production, Process Development, Process Improvement, Training, Capacity/Throughput analysis, and facility/equipment requirements in support of the product realization lifecycle.

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