Senior Optical Applications Engineer

Corning•Village of Fairport, NY

1d•$96,254 - $132,349•Onsite

About The Position

This Senior Applications Engineer is responsible for providing technical leadership and customer support for key Precision Optics accounts while developing deep application knowledge and strong customer relationships. They serve as the primary technical interface between customers and Corning's engineering, manufacturing, quality, and commercial organizations to support business growth, customer satisfaction, product performance, and long-term strategic partnership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (BS) in Physics, Optical Engineering, or related discipline
5+ years of relevant experience in applications engineering, product engineering, optical engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related technical roles.
Experience working directly with customers and cross-functional engineering teams.
Experience supporting product qualifications, problem solving, and technical issue resolution.
Desire to “roll up sleeves” to work directly with customers and internal project teams.
Strong technical foundation in optics, optical systems, semiconductor applications, precision manufacturing, or related technologies.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to effectively engage technical, commercial, and leadership audiences.
Strong customer engagement and relationship-building capabilities.
Ability to coordinate and influence cross-functional teams within a matrix organization.
Demonstrated problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to translate customer requirements into actionable solutions.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
Strong technical acumen combined with business awareness and customer focus.
Self-motivated, organized, and capable of working independently with limited supervision.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MS) in Optics or Engineering or Material Science preferred
Semiconductor, optics, photonics, precision manufacturing, or related industry experience preferred.
Strong understanding of optics and optical systems.
Familiarity with semiconductor equipment, metrology, inspection, lithography, or adjacent industries.
Experience supporting strategic customer accounts in a customer-facing technical role.
Knowledge of reliability engineering, qualification processes, product lifecycle management, and change management.
Experience leading cross-functional projects or technical initiatives.
Familiarity with CRM tools and customer opportunity management processes.
Ability to identify emerging customer needs, technology trends, and future business opportunities.
Demonstrated leadership potential and ability to mentor junior engineers or project team members.

Responsibilities

Develop a deep understanding of customer applications, product requirements, manufacturing processes, and technology roadmaps to support existing business and identify future opportunities.
Serve as the primary technical interface for assigned customer accounts, building strong relationships within customer engineering, development, quality, and operations organizations.
Provide technical support for customer inquiries, product qualifications, quality concerns, product changes, and operational escalations while ensuring timely issue resolution.
Lead cross-functional teams involving Applications Engineering, Product Engineering, Development, Manufacturing, Quality, and Commercial organizations to address customer needs and achieve business objectives.
Represent the customer perspective within Corning while effectively communicating technical, operational, and business considerations to customers.
Analyze product performance, application requirements, customer feedback, and market trends to identify opportunities for product improvements, cost reductions, and enhanced customer value.
Support new product introductions, customer qualifications, roadmap discussions, and development activities that align customer needs with Corning capabilities.
Maintain effective communication, documentation, and tracking of customer issues, opportunities, action items, and business risks.