Photonics Engineering Manager – Systems & Manufacturing

Thorlabs; Morganville; On-site; CAD 187,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

Thorlabs designs and manufactures photonics components, instruments, and systems worldwide. The Engineering Manager leads a multidisciplinary team focusing on design, manufacturing readiness, and process discipline, bridging R&D, manufacturing engineering, and operations.

This on-site role in Morganville involves ensuring manufacturability, robust schedules, and strong cross-functional collaboration. Responsibilities include leading design reviews, managing schedules, and driving continuous

Qualifications

• 5–10 years engineering experience in design, manufacturing, quality, or PLM.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in complex photonics or precision systems.
• Ability to manage schedules and deliverables in iterative development.
• Minimum 2 years of engineering management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary teams in photonics component design and system integration.
• Drive iterative design cycles to shorten development time and improve outcomes.
• Balance new technology with proven solutions for reliability and production readiness.
• Apply DFM and DFA to optimize designs for manufacturing and assembly.
• Manage engineering schedules, milestones, dependencies, and critical path execution.
• Oversee system integration and validation across optical, mechanical, and electronic subsystems.
• Ensure ISO processes and PLM use, including documentation, BOMs, and change control.
• Partner with manufacturing engineering to support ramp, yield, and process stability.
• Foster a learning-focused, inquisitive team culture with testing and continuous improvement.
• Lead structured design reviews, cross-functional communication, and risk mitigation.
• Deliver regular performance updates on project status, risks, and emerging concerns.

Skills

Leadership

Team leadership

Design review

DFM DFA

Communication

Reporting

Project management

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering

Optics or Physics

Tools

PLM software

BOM management

Job description

Thorlabs designs and manufactures photonics components, instruments, and systems worldwide. The Engineering Manager leads a multidisciplinary team focusing on design, manufacturing readiness, and process discipline, bridging R&D, manufacturing engineering, and operations.

This on-site role in Morganville involves ensuring manufacturability, robust schedules, and strong cross-functional collaboration. Responsibilities include leading design reviews, managing schedules, and driving continuous