Optical Manufacturing Automation Engineer

POSITION OVERVIEW As an Optical Manufacturing Automation Engineer, you will play a critical role in developing and scaling the automation infrastructure that supports the manufacturing of Lumilens’ next-generation silicon photonics and optical transceiver products. This role sits at the intersection of manufacturing, test engineering, software development, and data analytics, with responsibility for designing, deploying, and optimizing automated production systems that improve throughput, yield, quality, and operational efficiency. You will work closely with manufacturing, process engineering, optical design, quality, and software teams to develop automated test and manufacturing solutions that support both new product introduction (NPI) and high-volume production. The ideal candidate combines hands-on experience with optical manufacturing environments and strong software development capabilities, enabling the creation of robust automation frameworks, equipment integration solutions, manufacturing data systems, and intelligent workflows that accelerate production scale-up and continuous improvement. DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES - Develop and implement automation solutions that support optical transceiver, silicon photonics, and advanced packaging manufacturing processes from prototype through high-volume production. - Design, develop, and maintain software applications, automation frameworks, and control systems used for manufacturing equipment, test stations, calibration systems, and process monitoring. - Integrate manufacturing equipment, optical test systems, robotics, motion control platforms, and factory automation tools using standard communication protocols and software interfaces. - Partner with manufacturing, process, and test engineering teams to automate manual production activities, improve cycle time, reduce operator dependency, and enhance process repeatability. - Develop automated workflows for data collection, traceability, process control, and production reporting across manufacturing operations. - Create and maintain software tools that support manufacturing execution, equipment monitoring, yield analysis, statistical process control (SPC), and production performance tracking. - Lead automation efforts supporting new product introduction (NPI), ensuring manufacturing systems, test platforms, and process controls are production-ready at launch. - Collaborate with quality and engineering teams to implement automated validation, calibration, and qualification processes that improve product quality and manufacturing consistency. - Develop dashboards, reporting tools, and analytics solutions that provide visibility into manufacturing performance, equipment utilization, yield trends, and operational bottlenecks. - Ensure all manufacturing automation software follows established quality management system (QMS) requirements, including version control, change management, documentation, validation, and release procedures. - Support troubleshooting and root cause investigations related to manufacturing equipment, automation systems, test stations, and production software. - Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on automation, factory digitization, throughput optimization, yield improvement, and cost reduction. - Collaborate with software engineers, IT teams, database architects, and manufacturing leaders to define scalable automation architectures that support future manufacturing growth. - Generate technical documentation, operating procedures, validation plans, and training materials supporting manufacturing automation systems. SKILLS/EXPERIENCE - Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Physics, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field with 7+ years of relevant experience in manufacturing automation, test automation, or industrial software development. - Experience supporting optical transceiver, silicon photonics, semiconductor, advanced packaging, or high-volume electronics manufacturing environments. - Strong software development experience using Python, C#, C++, LabVIEW, or similar languages for manufacturing automation and equipment integration. - Experience developing software interfaces for manufacturing equipment, automated test systems, robotics, motion control platforms, and production hardware. - Strong understanding of manufacturing automation architectures, industrial communication protocols, and equipment integration methodologies. - Hands-on experience with manufacturing data systems, database development, and production analytics using SQL, NoSQL, or equivalent technologies. - Experience implementing automated data collection, process monitoring, statistical process control (SPC), yield analysis, and reporting solutions. - Familiarity with manufacturing execution systems (MES), ERP systems, factory automation platforms, and production traceability requirements. - Experience with source code management and software lifecycle processes using GitHub, Bitbucket, SVN, or similar version control tools. - Strong understanding of software quality practices including validation, regression testing, release management, bug tracking, and change control. - Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI), manufacturing scale-up, and production ramp activities. - Knowledge of optical manufacturing processes, transceiver assembly, silicon photonics production, automated optical alignment, calibration systems, or high-speed optical testing is highly desirable. - Understanding of quality systems, reliability requirements, and manufacturing compliance standards. - Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify opportunities for automation and operational improvement. - Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced, rapidly scaling manufacturing environment. - Excellent communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across global engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams. - International travel may be required.