Senior Manufacturing Engineer, Laser Processes

Mach Industries•Huntington Beach, CA

About The Position

Mach Industries is seeking a Senior or Principal Manufacturing Engineer to own the development, qualification, and scaling of laser manufacturing processes across the company. The work includes laser cutting, welding, and part marking, as well as evaluating new laser technologies. Initial equipment scope includes TRUMPF part-marking cells, the TruLaser Cell 3000 for prototyping and process development, and the TruLaser Cell 7040 for production laser cutting and welding; capabilities depend on installed configurations. This is a hands-on engineering role involving direct work with equipment, technicians, design engineers, Quality, and Automation to move processes from initial trials into dependable production. The engineer will develop flexible processes for high-mix, low-volume development and repeatable, higher-rate manufacturing, and transfer validated processes from Huntington Beach to Mach production facilities. The role also includes leading equipment commissioning and production acceptance, defining inspection and process controls, developing capacity and cycle-time models, maintaining controlled process documentation, connecting processes to manufacturing execution systems, and working with EHS, Facilities, Maintenance, and suppliers on safe and sustainable operations. The engineer will evaluate laser additive manufacturing and other applications, lead feasibility studies, recommend investments, and mentor engineers and technicians.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, manufacturing, materials, welding, optical engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
At least 5 years of relevant manufacturing, applications, or laser process engineering experience for Senior consideration; at least 8 years and demonstrated technical leadership across complex manufacturing systems for Principal consideration.
Substantial hands-on experience developing and troubleshooting industrial laser cutting and welding processes, with the ability to take ownership of part-marking applications.
Strong understanding of laser–material interactions, heat input, optical setup, shielding, joint fit-up, distortion, and process variation.
Ability to explain process behavior and resolve problems using engineering fundamentals and experimental evidence.
Experience taking manufacturing processes from development into production, including tooling, equipment integration, qualification, documentation, and operator training.
Proficiency with engineering drawings, GD&T, CAD, and fixture design.
Experience programming laser or multi-axis manufacturing equipment and working with automated production cells.
Experience using structured experiments, inspection results, and production data to establish process capability and improve quality, throughput, and cost.
Ability to lead technical decisions across engineering, production, Quality, and suppliers while remaining directly involved in equipment trials, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
Available to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
Must meet stated U.S. export-control eligibility requirements or be eligible to obtain required authorizations.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with TRUMPF TruLaser Cell 3000, TruLaser Cell 7040, and TRUMPF marking systems, including relevant programming software, laser sources, processing optics, and vision-assisted functions.
Familiarity with laser-based metal additive manufacturing, including laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and/or laser-based directed energy deposition (DED/LMD), including build preparation, material behavior, post-processing, inspection, and production economics.
Experience with robotic laser processing, automated material handling, machine vision, in-process monitoring, and integration between manufacturing equipment and factory data systems.
Experience processing aluminum, stainless steels, titanium, or nickel-based alloys in aerospace, automotive, medical, or other demanding manufacturing environments.
Experience replicating qualified processes across equipment or facilities, developing company-wide manufacturing standards, and evaluating new technology or capital equipment investments.

Responsibilities

Own laser cutting, welding, and marking process development from feasibility trials through qualification and sustained production.
Develop programs, establish robust operating parameters, and troubleshoot process and equipment issues on the shop floor.
Partner with Design Engineering to improve manufacturability through material selection, joint design, dimensional requirements, process access, and assembly sequencing.
Identify manufacturing risks early and recommend practical design changes.
Design and qualify fixtures, workholding, and tooling for repeatable part location, distortion control, process access, efficient loading, and changeover.
Define and deploy automation for mixed-product and mixed-rate production, working with Controls, Robotics, and systems integrators on part presentation, robotic loading and unloading, quick-change tooling, recipe selection, part verification, and fault recovery.
Lead equipment commissioning and production acceptance; develop technical requirements, supplier scopes of work, and acceptance criteria; oversee factory and site acceptance testing; and demonstrate required quality and throughput.
Establish inspection methods and process controls with Quality, including weld qualification, cut-quality acceptance, marking verification, and process monitoring.
Lead defect investigations and implement corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
Develop capacity and cycle-time models accounting for loading, processing, inspection, changeovers, downtime, and staffing.
Improve first-pass yield, equipment availability, throughput, and cost per part.
Create and maintain controlled process packages, including programs, parameter sets, tooling drawings, setup instructions, inspection requirements, and operator training.
Validate transferred processes at receiving facilities rather than relying on equipment settings alone.
Work with factory software and automation teams to connect laser processes to manufacturing execution systems, including serialization, marking data, program revision control, and process and inspection traceability.
Partner with EHS, Facilities, Maintenance, and equipment suppliers to establish safe operating methods, equipment safeguards, extraction and utility requirements, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting procedures.
Evaluate laser-based additive manufacturing and other applications such as cleaning, surface texturing, and cladding; lead feasibility studies and supplier trials and recommend investments based on technical capability and business value.
Mentor engineers and technicians, establish reusable engineering standards, and build the team’s ability to develop, operate, and sustain laser processes.