Manager, Optical Process Engineering

Job Description

Job Title: Manager, Optical Process Engineering. Location: Milpitas, California, United States

Responsibilities:

Process Development and Optimization

• Design, develop, and improve optical manufacturing processes.
• Optimize manufacturing yield, throughput, cycle time, and product quality.
• Support process transfer from R&D into production.
• Develop process control methodologies and statistical monitoring systems.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing issues involving optics, fiber-optic alignment and length matching, and photonics assembly.

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and mentor process, manufacturing, and optical engineering teams.
• Assign project priorities and monitor execution timelines.
• Foster continuous improvement and technical innovation;
• Coordinate cross-functional activities between R&D, quality, supply chain, and operations teams.

Manufacturing and Quality

• Ensure compliance with applicable quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Implement Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Oversee equipment qualification, validation, and maintenance strategies.

Project Management

• Manage engineering projects, budgets, schedules, and resource allocation.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities.
• Work with vendors and suppliers on process capability and equipment integration.
• Present technical updates and manufacturing metrics to senior leadership.

Technical Responsibilities

• Develop optical fabrication and manufacturing processes.
• Work with optical alignment and fiber-optic manufacturing processes.
• Apply statistical process control (SPC) and Design of Experiments (DOE) methods.
• Use metrology and characterization tools to evaluate process performance;
• Support process scale-up for high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Apply data analysis and engineering software to improve manufacturing processes.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in:
  • Optical Engineering
  • Physics
  • Photonics
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • A related engineering discipline
• 7 to 12+ years of experience in optical manufacturing or process engineering.
• 2 to 5+ years of leadership or people management experience.
• Experience with high-volume manufacturing and process scale-up.
• Experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE).
• Experience with Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma.
• Experience with process validation;
• Experience with metrology and characterization tools.
• Proficiency with engineering software and data analysis tools.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred:

• Experience in the semiconductor or photonics industry.
• Knowledge of automation and robotics integration.
• Experience with optical manufacturing and photonic device production.
• Experience working with advanced manufacturing equipment and process-control systems.
• Experience with manufacturing data systems and process analytics.

Tools and Technologies:

The role may involve working with:

• Optical metrology systems
• Laser alignment equipment
• CAD software
• MATLAB
• Python
• JMP
• Minitab
• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Cleanroom equipment

Benefits and Compensation:

The estimated annual base salary depends on the geographic compensation zone:

• Zone 1, Bay Area and NYC: $201,400 to $236,600
• Zone 2, including Los Angeles and Washington, DC: $181,200 to $212,900
• Zone 3, including Austin, Chicago, and Sacramento: $161,100 to $189,300
• Zone 4, including Nashville, Phoenix/Tempe, and many remote locations: $140,900 to $165,600

Actual compensation may vary based on qualifications, education, training, skills, experience, geographic location, business needs, and internal equity.

Full-time employees are eligible for equity and benefits, including:

• Competitive health coverage for employees and dependents
• 401(k) with company match
• Equity grants
• Financial wellness tools and planning resources
• Wellness benefits
• Family support programs
• Life and disability insurance;
• Paid leave programs
• Company-designated paid holidays
• Discretionary time off (DTO)
• End-of-year company shutdown

Benefits may vary according to eligibility, location, role, and employment status. Some benefits are subsidized or fully paid by PsiQuantum.