Sr. R&D Engineering Technician

Excelitas • Billerica, MA

3d

About The Position

The Sr. R&D Engineering Technician serves as a key technical link between product development and manufacturing at Excelitas Technologies’ Billerica, Massachusetts facility. The role builds, tests, troubleshoots, and runs experiments on new optical and photonic products during development, helping engineering teams evaluate performance, resolve technical issues, and refine designs. It also supports the transfer of new products and processes into manufacturing by developing procedures and work instructions, training operators, and ensuring assembly and test methods can be performed consistently in production. The position helps accelerate product development, improve manufacturability, and support a smooth transition from R&D to high-volume manufacturing. The work involves optical systems, photonic components, precision assembly, and test equipment. Candidates must meet the stated U.S. Person/Citizen requirement; visa sponsorship is unavailable. No relocation assistance is available, and the role is for local candidates only.

Requirements

• Experience with lasers and photonic systems.
• Understanding of optical components, including fibers, lenses, polarizers, isolators, and waveplates.
• Experience in fiber and optical component alignment, optical testing, and measurement techniques.
• A highly hands-on approach and interest in working directly with optical hardware and test equipment.
• Must be a U.S. Person/Citizen.

Nice To Haves

• Detail-oriented with strong documentation skills.
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities.
• Mechanical aptitude and technical curiosity.
• Self-motivated, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Test, characterize, and troubleshoot complex optical systems.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, procedures, and test methods.
• Handle, assemble, and inspect small, delicate components using microscopes and precision tools.
• Support the transfer of product builds and assembly processes from R&D to production.
• Train operators on assembly, alignment, testing, and manufacturing procedures.
• Build and test new optical and photonic products and run development experiments.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed