Laser Process Development Engineer/Scientist

Corning Inc.; Hickory (NC); On-site; USD 103,000 - 141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonuses

Long-term incentives

401(k) matching up to 4%

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Corning Inc. in North Carolina is seeking a Laser Process Development Engineer/Scientist to advance early-stage laser processes and optical solutions.

The role focuses on hands-on experimentation, prototype development, and data-driven optimization to scale innovative processes across Corning facilities. The candidate will design experiments, develop bench-top and semi-automated stations, and collaborate with AR&D and Research teams to translate laboratory work into scalable manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Photonics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
• 2+ years of experience in laser processing, optics or photonics
• Master's or PhD research may count toward requirement
• Understanding of laser theory, laser platforms, and light-material interaction
• Understanding of optical theory and light propagation
• Hands-on experimental work, troubleshooting, and data interpretation
• Proficiency with MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project)
• Willingness to learn and apply new technologies

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and improve laser-based processes for deployment across Corning facilities worldwide
• Build, refine, and evaluate lab-based benchtop and semi-automated prototypes
• Apply laser theory and optical systems to solve technical challenges
• Design and develop optical systems including free-space optics
• Establish process windows through structured experimentation and analysis
• Develop and execute task plans to meet project objectives and milestones
• Document technical guidelines and best practices for process development
• Collaborate with AR&D and Research teams on cross-functional problems
• Apply structured problem-solving methods (e.g., MEE)
• Analyze experimental data using statistical and process-analysis tools
• Interpret results and recommend actions and follow-ups
• Troubleshoot prototype equipment and tooling
• Document inventions and potential patent concepts
• Design, develop, and test tooling and fixtures for new product development to scale to manufacturing

Skills

Hands-on experimental work

Data interpretation

Analytical problem-solving

Communication

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Photonics Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Physics

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science

Master's or PhD research relevant to laser processing/photonic/automation

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

3D CAD

DOE

SPC

Six Sigma

Minitab

JMP

Excel

Job description

Corning Inc. in North Carolina is seeking a Laser Process Development Engineer/Scientist to advance early-stage laser processes and optical solutions.

The role focuses on hands-on experimentation, prototype development, and data-driven optimization to scale innovative processes across Corning facilities. The candidate will design experiments, develop bench-top and semi-automated stations, and collaborate with AR&D and Research teams to translate laboratory work into scalable manufacturing