Manager, Optical Manufacturing Development Engineering

We are seeking an experienced Optical Manufacturing Development Engineering Manager to lead the optical systems function within a highly technical manufacturing environment. This individual will own the integration, commissioning, calibration, and long-term performance of complex optical subsystems used in advanced manufacturing equipment.

The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on experience with lasers, optical systems, beam delivery, scanners/galvos, calibration, and opto-mechanical systems with the ability to lead and mentor a small technical team.

This is a player-coach role. The successful candidate will lead a small team of optics engineers while remaining directly involved in equipment builds, optical integration, alignment, calibration, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis on the manufacturing floor and in the laboratory.

The role works closely with Hardware Design, Controls/Software, Process Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing teams to resolve optical performance issues that affect equipment quality, reliability, uptime, and throughput.

Location: Torrance/Long Beach, California
Work Environment: On-site office, laboratory, and manufacturing floor

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the optical systems function supporting complex laser-based manufacturing equipment.


• Own optical subsystem integration and stabilization from initial system bring-up through commissioning, qualification, and steady-state production.


• Integrate and support optical subsystems including high-power lasers, beam delivery systems, scanners/galvos, F-theta lenses, and high-speed imaging systems.


• Develop, implement, and continuously improve optical calibration procedures and verification methods.


• Establish methods to verify that optical calibration remains stable over time despite drift, wear, temperature changes, environmental variation, and equipment use.


• Lead a small team of optics engineers while remaining hands-on with equipment builds, calibration, alignment, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis.


• Partner with Hardware Design, Controls/Software, Process Engineering, Operations, and Manufacturing teams to resolve optical performance issues affecting build quality, uptime, reliability, and throughput.


• Lead Root Cause and Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations for optical system failures, performance issues, and production escapes.


• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce recurring optical system failures.


• Own technical documentation for optical subsystems, including work instructions, calibration procedures, verification procedures, acceptance criteria, and test plans.


• Establish and monitor optical system health metrics, including calibration hold time, drift rate, verification pass rate, and mean time between failures (MTBF).


• Drive continuous improvement of optical system performance, reliability, repeatability, and maintainability.


• Train and mentor engineers and technicians on optical calibration, alignment, troubleshooting, and laser safety practices.


• Support replication and scale-up of optical systems, processes, and calibration methods across multiple machines and manufacturing locations.


• Work cross-functionally to improve manufacturing readiness and ensure optical systems can be consistently integrated and maintained in production.


• Maintain strong technical standards for documentation, troubleshooting, calibration, and system ownership.

Leadership & Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of optical engineers and technical personnel.


• Establish clear technical expectations, provide regular feedback, and promote accountability and ownership.


• Provide hands-on technical guidance during equipment builds, integration, calibration, and troubleshooting.


• Serve as a technical leader while remaining actively involved in laboratory and manufacturing-floor activities.


• Foster effective collaboration between optics, hardware, controls, software, process engineering, and operations teams.


• Develop team capabilities around optical integration, calibration, troubleshooting, laser safety, and production support.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Optics, Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in electro-optical or opto-mechanical systems design, integration, calibration, or manufacturing.


• Hands-on experience working with complex optical or laser-based systems in laboratory, industrial, manufacturing, or capital equipment environments.


• Demonstrated experience developing and validating calibration and verification processes for optical or laser systems.


• Hands-on experience integrating high-power lasers, scanners/galvos, beam delivery optics, or related optical systems.


• Experience performing optical alignment, system integration, calibration, and technical troubleshooting.


• Strong experience with root cause analysis, corrective action, and failure investigation for complex electro-optical systems.


• Demonstrated ability to create high-quality technical documentation, including work instructions, test procedures, calibration standards, and acceptance criteria.


• Demonstrated ability to lead or mentor engineers and technicians while remaining technically hands-on.


• Comfortable working directly with equipment in laboratory and manufacturing-floor environments.

Desired Skills

• Strong technical leadership and people-development skills.


• Deep understanding of optical system integration and performance.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.


• Ability to troubleshoot complex electro-optical systems and identify underlying root causes.


• Strong understanding of calibration accuracy, repeatability, stability, and measurement uncertainty.


• Ability to translate technical requirements into practical manufacturing and calibration processes.


• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively with both engineering and operations teams.


• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and documentation quality.


• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where systems and processes are continuously being developed and improved.

Technical Competencies

• Optical systems integration


• Electro-optical systems


• Opto-mechanical systems


• High-power laser systems


• Laser beam delivery


• Beam alignment and steering


• Galvanometer / galvo scanners


• Laser scanning systems


• F-theta and scanning optics


• Beam shaping and beam conditioning


• Optical calibration


• Calibration verification and validation


• Calibration stability and drift analysis


• Optical alignment


• Optical metrology


• High-speed imaging and camera systems


• Machine vision and imaging systems


• System characterization and performance verification


• Root Cause Analysis (RCA/RCCA)


• Failure analysis and troubleshooting


• Corrective and preventive actions


• Reliability and repeatability


• Laser safety


• Test and measurement systems


• Manufacturing process development


• Equipment commissioning and qualification


• Configuration and change control

Software & Systems

Experience with the following is beneficial:

• PLM systems


• MES platforms


• Configuration management systems


• Engineering change control systems


• Optical design and simulation tools


• Test and measurement software


• Data acquisition and analysis tools


• Calibration and metrology systems

Preferred Background

Candidates with experience in the following environments are particularly encouraged to apply:

• Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF)


• Additive manufacturing / metal 3D printing


• Industrial laser systems


• Semiconductor equipment and lithography


• Aerospace and defense electro-optical systems


• Photonics and optical instrumentation


• Advanced manufacturing equipment


• Capital equipment


• Complex opto-mechanical systems


• Life sciences instrumentation involving precision optical systems

Experience with high-power lasers (500W+), dynamic laser beam steering, beam shaping optics, scanners/galvos, or high-speed imaging systems is particularly valuable.

Experience supporting factory scale-up, equipment commissioning, production deployment, or multi-site manufacturing operations is also highly desirable.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidate will be a hands-on optical or electro-optical engineer who has worked with complex laser systems in real-world equipment, rather than someone whose experience is primarily theoretical or focused on optical design alone.

They should have demonstrated experience taking optical systems through:

Integration → Alignment → Calibration → Verification → Commissioning → Production

The ideal candidate will also have experience troubleshooting optical systems under real operating conditions and understanding how calibration drift, environmental variation, alignment, and component performance affect overall machine reliability and manufacturing output.

While prior management experience is valuable, this role is best suited for a technical leader who wants to remain hands-on, rather than a traditional people manager focused primarily on managing a large organization.