Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Photonics Manufacturing & NPI

The role

This role serves as the manufacturing engineering owner responsible for transitioning advanced photonic hardware from Research & Development into pilot manufacturing, production, and high-volume manufacturing. You will develop scalable manufacturing processes for hardware and subassemblies including photonic integrated circuits, fiber optic assemblies, electro-optical systems, and cryogenic hardware.

What you will do

• Lead manufacturing process development for PIC-based photonic hardware and precision opto-mechanical systems.
• Serve as the Manufacturing Engineering lead during New Product Introduction (NPI).
• Develop scalable manufacturing methods for increased production volumes.
• Collaborate with Process Engineering and Design Engineering using DFM/DFA principles.
• Own precision fiber optic manufacturing processes.
• Develop manufacturing processes for optical packaging, alignment, and electro-optical integration.
• Support cleanroom manufacturing and assembly of cryogenic hardware.
• Design, qualify, and optimize tooling, fixtures, and specialized assembly equipment.
• Establish and maintain workstations, calibration, and maintenance schedules.
• Drive 5S and visual management initiatives.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of manufacturing engineering experience supporting complex photonic, semiconductor, optical, precision electromechanical, or other high-reliability products.
• Demonstrated success transitioning products from R&D through NPI, pilot production, manufacturing ramp, and sustained production.
• Hands-on experience with fiber stripping, precision cleaving, fusion splicing, fiber routing, handling, inspection, and connectorization.
• Experience supporting manufacturing of photonic hardware.
• Experience supporting cleanroom manufacturing operations.
• Experience driving production support, process maturity, yield improvement, and CPI.
• Experience developing manufacturing documentation, PFMEAs, Control Plans, SPC, process validation, and DFM/DFA.
• Experience preparing manufacturing processes for CM transfer.
• Excellent project management and cross-functional communication skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with PIC-based assemblies
• Experience with silicon photonics, quantum technologies, optical communications, semiconductor manufacturing, or precision optical instrumentation.
• Experience with PIC-based hardware, optical packaging, fiber attach, active optical alignment, or electro-optical assembly.
• Experience with automated optical inspection, production test equipment, or manufacturing automation.
• Experience supporting cryogenic and/or vacuum hardware.
• Experience with Manufacturing Readiness Reviews (MRRs), Production Transfer Gate Reviews, or similar phase-gate processes.
• Experience implementing Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and visual management.
• Experience managing manufacturing equipment qualification, calibration, and preventive maintenance.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100, CAPA, engineering change management, document control, and risk management.
• Experience working with Contract Manufacturers.

Benefits

• competitive health coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) with company match
• equity grants
• access to 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

About the company

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers. Their architecture and approach is based on silicon photonics.