Senior Production Readiness Engineer

VulcanForms Inc. • Devens, MA

74d • $106,000 - $146,000 • Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Production Readiness Engineer, you will provide manufacturing-engineering and technical support for the Optical Manufacturing production team. You will define, implement, and maintain the manufacturing, quality-assurance, and quality-control processes used to build precision optical components, opto-mechanical sub-assemblies, and final laser-delivery assemblies that go into VulcanForms’ metal AM systems. You will own the manufacturing engineering behind these processes — developing methods of manufacturing (MOMs), bills of material (BOMs); authoring work instructions and inspection plans; managing engineering change; designing manufacturing processes, fixtures, and tooling; and providing hands-on floor support across production and the machine shop. The ideal candidate is well-versed in precision and optical manufacturing operations and in the health-and-safety practices required to run a safe, high-precision production environment. This is a hands-on, high-impact role: you will help mature precision optical assemblies from early and prototype builds into repeatable medium-volume production — putting your thumbprint on the processes, fixtures, and documentation that ship in VulcanForms systems.

Requirements

• B.S. in Engineering or a related technical field (Mechanical, Optical, Manufacturing, or similar), with 3+ years of optical, opto-mechanical, or other advanced/precision manufacturing experience.
• Strong knowledge of precision manufacturing processes and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and qualify production processes using process FMEA, fault tree analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and process-planning tools.
• Experience developing and integrating new technologies and equipment into production.
• Experience designing production fixtures and tooling for manufacturing environments - cleanroom experience a plus.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, quality-system requirements, and SPC tools.
• Proficiency with change control, inspection plans, and engineering drawings/GD&T; CAD literacy in Autodesk Inventor.
• Experience operating within a controlled quality management system - ISO 13485 and/or AS 9100D.
• Hands-on experience with ERP/MES - including creating BOMs, methods of manufacturing, and managing change control - Epicor Kinetic preferred; experience with an electronic QMS (e.g., Greenlight Guru) and PLM (e.g., Windchill) a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Nice To Haves

• Experience building and testing complex, high-precision optical or laser systems.
• Strong familiarity with cleanroom protocols and with setting up and operating an optical lab.
• Laser beam metrology and diagnostics - profilometry, M² measurement, power/energy, beam profiling - and the associated software.
• Laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) testing of optical surfaces.
• Precision bonding/epoxy and cure processes, fiber-optic assembly or fusion splicing, interferometry, and spectrophotometry.
• Hands-on CNC machining experience - programming, setup, and operation of 3- and 4-axis vertical machining centers (Okuma / OSP control a strong plus).
• CAM programming and CNC setup development - fixturing, work-offsets, tool selection, and feeds and speeds.
• Precision machining of copper and aluminum alloys (e.g., tellurium copper C14500, 6061) to tight tolerances and fine surface finishes.
• On-machine probing (e.g., Renishaw) and 4th-axis / trunnion work.
• GD&T interpretation and precision metrology (CMM, indicators, profilometry) for machined parts.
• Ability to multitask and adapt to changing business requirements; excellent organizational and prioritization skills.
• Strong analytical, data-driven problem-solving skills, with sound reasoning even when data is limited.
• Strong work ethic, good judgment, and sound decision-making.
• Strong sense of ownership; hands-on, practical mindset.
• Team player with excellent communication skills.
• Excited to take on new challenges in metal additive manufacturing and to work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment; self-motivated and capable of setting and reaching ambitious goals.

Responsibilities

• Drive product quality and yield: identify manufacturing issues, develop cost-effective solutions including scrap and rework reduction, and oversee successful production ramp.
• Apply SPC and data-driven root-cause and corrective-action methods (8D, fishbone, PFMEA, fault tree) to monitor process capability and resolve problems across methods, processes, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and product design.
• Partner with production technicians and team leads to resolve day-to-day manufacturing and quality issues on the floor.
• Specify, justify, qualify, and integrate advanced technology and capital equipment to improve productivity, process capability, and capacity for future programs.
• Apply Lean manufacturing principles and lead or participate in kaizen and continuous-improvement events to improve capability, reduce cost, and increase throughput.
• Create and maintain methods of manufacturing (MOMs) and bills of material (BOMs), and manage change control, in the ERP/MES (Epicor Kinetic).
• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation within the controlled quality system - work instructions, process specifications, inspection plans, and first-article inspection (FAI) and support Device History Record (DHR) completeness.
• Design and improve manufacturing processes (manufacturing process design through production), and design and build fixtures and tooling for cleanroom manufacturing environments, supporting both production and the machine shop.
• Translate design requirements into process and equipment specifications and collaborate with optical and design engineering to integrate build and test results into improved designs.
• Support resolution of nonconformances and corrective/preventive actions (NCR/CAPA), including internal-customer issues, line-down events, and repairs.
• Assist subcontractors and suppliers in resolving manufacturing- and quality-related issues.
• Champion safety: proactively identify hazards (including laser and chemical hazards), drive corrective measures, and ensure adherence to EHS policies and procedures.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• generous paid time off
• 401(k) plan with company match

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior