Manufacturing/NPI Engineer - Optics (Austin, TX)

Own new product introduction (NPI) for optical components and assemblies — from design-for-manufacturing feedback during development through pilot builds, qualification, and volume ramp

Develop, document, and validate manufacturing and assembly processes for precision optics, including alignment, bonding, coating, cleaning, and handling procedures

Define and implement optical metrology and quality controls — surface figure, transmittance/reflectance, alignment tolerances, coating durability — and the acceptance criteria suppliers are held to

Qualify and develop optics manufacturing and assembly suppliers domestically and internationally: run process audits, first article inspections, PPAP/qualification builds, and drive corrective actions to closure

Partner with design engineering to translate optical performance requirements into manufacturable specifications, realistic tolerances, and scalable processes

Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for optical yield, quality, and reliability issues across pilot and production builds

Drive cost-reduction and yield-improvement initiatives as production scales, balancing optical performance against manufacturability and cost

Build the documentation backbone for scale: work instructions, control plans, PFMEAs, and process flow diagrams for optical manufacturing and assembly

Travel to supplier and manufacturing sites (domestic and international) to support builds, qualifications, and issue resolution

4+ years of manufacturing, process, or NPI engineering experience with precision optical components or optomechanical assemblies — lenses, mirrors, coatings, concentrators, or comparable high-precision hardware

Working knowledge of optical fabrication and assembly processes (molding, polishing, coating, replication, precision alignment and bonding) and where they break at volume

Hands-on experience with optical metrology tools and methods (interferometry, spectrophotometry, CMM, imaging-based alignment verification, or equivalent)

Experience taking hardware through NPI phase gates — prototype, EVT/DVT/PVT or equivalent — into volume production

Demonstrated supplier-facing experience: qualification builds, audits, first article inspection, and driving corrective action with external partners

Fluency with core quality tools: GD&T, SPC, PFMEA, control plans, and structured root cause methods (8D, 5-Why, or similar)

Bachelor's degree in Optical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, Physics, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated engineering depth

Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed

Experience manufacturing optics for solar, automotive, lighting, display, or other cost-driven high-volume applications (vs. low-volume scientific/aerospace optics)

Familiarity with Fresnel lenses, lamination process, reflector/concentrator optics, or non-imaging optics

Knowledge of optical coating processes and environmental durability testing (abrasion, humidity, thermal cycling, UV exposure)

Experience standing up new production lines or transferring processes between suppliers or geographies, including in Asia

Working knowledge of injection molding, glass forming, or roll-to-roll replication for optical surfaces

Experience in an early-stage or fast-ramp hardware environment where you built the process rather than inherited it