Senior Laser Engineer

MKS Instruments•Milpitas, CA

2d•$111,850 - $186,400•Onsite

About The Position

Spectra-Physics, the Lasers Business Unit of MKS Instruments, is seeking a Senior Laser Engineer to join their innovative product development engineering team. This role will focus on the development, improvement, and lifecycle management of advanced laser systems, particularly low-power continuous-wave (CW), single-frequency, tunable diode laser systems for OEM and semiconductor customers. The position involves working with both free-space and fiber-based configurations across the full product lifecycle, from R&D design and new product introduction (NPI) to production and sustaining engineering. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional teams to address complex technical challenges and customer needs, working with electro-optical systems including diode lasers, optics, electronics, thermal management, software, and precision opto-mechanical assemblies. While the primary focus is tunable diode laser technology, there's also an opportunity to contribute to other Spectra-Physics products, such as ultrafast laser technologies. Strong system-level engineering skills, practical problem-solving abilities, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills are crucial.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
5+ years of industry experience.
Strong system-level troubleshooting and diagnostic skills.
Experience with root-cause analysis methodologies.
Hands-on experience developing, testing, integrating, manufacturing, or supporting advanced laser systems, photonics products, or electro-optical instruments.
Experience working with advanced laser laboratory equipment and optoelectronic test instrumentation.
Strong written and verbal technical communication skills.
Comfortable presenting to cross-functional teams and customers.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or PhD in relevant engineering discipline Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Photonics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
2+ years of industry experience.
Experience with diode, fiber, solid-state, or tunable laser systems.
Experience characterizing laser performance, stability, reliability, and manufacturability.
Experience supporting manufacturing, NPI, and sustaining engineering.
Familiarity with reliability and quality frameworks (FMEA, DOE, SPC, ISO 9001).
Experience using engineering automation and modeling tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or Zemax).

Responsibilities

Support the design, integration, testing, and qualification of laser products and subsystems.
Perform system-level analysis (optical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, and software interactions) to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
Participate in design and drive engineering change activities during product transfer to production.
Create and maintain engineering documentation, including specifications, test procedures, validation reports, and work instructions.
Lead structured root-cause investigations for product, manufacturing, and field failures.
Diagnose complex technical issues and analyze reliability, yield, and performance data to identify trends and implement corrective actions (CAPA).
Provide direct engineering support to manufacturing and operations teams.
Support customer qualification, evaluation, and acceptance testing activities.
Investigate customer-reported issues and communicate technical findings to customers and internal stakeholders.