Staff NPI Engineer (Laser, Photonics & Automation)
About The Position
Coherent’s Laser Systems and Measurement division designs and manufactures precision solid-state lasers, laser diode systems, multi-laser light engines, and calibrated laser measurement systems. The Staff NPI Engineer leads the transition of new laser and photonic products from R&D to scalable, high-volume manufacturing, and hands products over to Production and Sustaining Engineering. The role leads new product introductions from design release through pilot ramp, coordinates manufacturing readiness and line setup, and supports smooth phase-gate transitions. It provides design-for-manufacturability feedback, resolves product and manufacturing issues, estimates costs and process requirements, and communicates project status, risks, and mitigation plans. The engineer develops and deploys automated test, calibration, alignment, and characterization systems for production. Responsibilities include motion control, robotics, hardware and instrument integration, database connectivity, automated data logging and analysis, and automation software configuration management. The position is on-site during normal Monday–Friday business hours. Employees must follow site and corporate EHS procedures. Depending on location, the role may also support applicable quality and environmental management standards.
Requirements
- B.S. or M.S. in optics, physics, electrical engineering, mechatronics, software engineering, or a related discipline.
- Six years of experience in NPI, product, manufacturing, or test engineering within lasers, optics, photonics, or related high-tech industries.
- Strong hands-on experience with optical alignment, opto-mechanical assembly, and laser/photonics test equipment.
- Experience with automated optical alignment systems.
- Proven experience developing automated test systems using LabVIEW, Python, LabWindows/CVI, C#, or similar environments.
- Experience controlling instruments through DAQ, VISA, GPIB, Ethernet, or serial interfaces.
- Experience integrating test systems with MES/ERP platforms.
- Experience transitioning products into high-mix and/or volume production.
- Strong structured problem-solving and project execution skills.
- Strong understanding of how automation can optimize KPIs in high-tech manufacturing environments.
- Strong interpersonal, teaming, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work effectively with other Coherent Corp. team members.
- Adherence to the company’s ICARE values: Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Enthusiasm.
Responsibilities
- Lead and support new product introductions from design release through pilot ramp.
- Coordinate manufacturing readiness and production-line setup, and ensure smooth phase-gate transitions.
- Provide design-for-manufacturability feedback to engineering teams.
- Diagnose and resolve product and manufacturing issues using structured corrective action.
- Estimate manufacturing costs and determine tooling and process requirements for new product lines.
- Present regular project updates covering metrics, schedules, risks, and mitigation plans.
- Propose and justify capital and expense expenditures needed to provide new production capability.
- Develop and deploy robust automated test and calibration systems for laser modules and measurement products in production.
- Implement automation for laser characterization, optical alignment, calibration, burn-in, and final test.
- Implement high-precision motion control systems for optical alignment, calibration, and active alignment processes.
- Develop or support robotic pick-and-place systems for precision opto-mechanical assembly.
- Interface with motion controllers, power meters, spectrometers, temperature controllers, vision systems, and DAQ hardware.
- Ensure automation solutions are robust, include appropriate safety measures, support self-troubleshooting, and have efficient, intuitive user interfaces.
- Establish communication between test systems and MES, ERP, or SQL databases.
- Implement automated data logging, analysis, and visualization to monitor yield and process performance.
- Ensure version control, documentation, and configuration management of automation software.
- Follow site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. corporate EHS standards.
- Depending on location, execute and maintain applicable quality and environmental management standards.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation program
- Career development platform
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
