Manufacturing Engineer I

Thorlabs•Morganville, NJ

8d•Onsite

About The Position

At Thorlabs, we design and manufacture components, instruments, and systems that transform the world by identifying, enabling, and accelerating key photonics (i.e., light-based) technologies. Backed by a dedicated workforce of more than 3,000 employees worldwide, Thorlabs contributes to cutting-edge research and real-world innovation. Whether you're early in your career or bringing years of experience, you’ll find opportunities to grow, take ownership, and make meaningful contributions from day one. We know every employee brings unique talents and perspectives that fuel our success, and we seek driven individuals who are excited to make an impact in a fun, fast-moving culture. The Manufacturing Engineer I is responsible for assisting in the improvement of production processes with guidance and support from senior engineers or supervisors. This role will help identify opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and resolve production issues, while gaining hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment. The Manufacturing Engineer I will work closely with experienced team members to learn standard practices, contribute to continuous improvement efforts, and support day-to-day production activities. Although the location of the position is in Morganville, NJ, from time to time it may be required to undertake duties at other Thorlabs locations.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in a relevant engineering position, or related position in a manufacturing environment.
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, or equivalent working experience.
Proficient with Microsoft office products to generate assembly instruction documents, test plans and other communication documents.
A good understanding of PLM systems and how they are used to maintain documents, drawings, test information and revision control.
Experience with quality improvement tools and techniques (i.e., Failure Mode & Effects Analysis).
Ability to work well in a group atmosphere and comply with high quality standards.
Experience using standard measurement equipment (calipers, micrometers, pin and thread gauges…. etc.)
Strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with production personnel to troubleshoot issues during assembly and production.
Assist in identifying parts that may be out of tolerance, worn or uncalibrated tooling/fixtures, and inaccuracies in work instructions.
Participate in design reviews as requested to provide input on potential manufacturing challenges and supportability of new designs.
Engage in internal and external training to build foundational skills in key areas such as Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing, failure mode analysis, technical writing, quality measurement, and data collection.
Support the transition of new products from design to production, including: Collecting production test data to verify product performance Ensuring test tools and equipment are properly maintained and functioning
Assist in the creation and ongoing maintenance of product assembly work instructions to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency.
Gather and analyze route time data to validate and refine product build time estimates for scheduling and costing purposes.
Conduct incoming part inspection: optical, mechanical, electrical
Develop and update processes to follow ISO compliance
Meeting company standards pertaining to quantity and quality of work performed on an ongoing basis, performing all work related tasks in a manner that is in compliance with all Company policies and procedures.
Adhering to Company policies, procedures, and directives regarding standards of workplace behavior in completing job duties and assignments.