Manufacturing Engineer- Optical Systems & Sustaining Engineer

IDEX; West Henrietta (NY); On-site; USD 78,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEX Health & Science, a unit of IDEX Corporation, seeks an experienced Manufacturing Engineer – Optical Systems & Sustaining Engineering to lead the transfer of advanced optical technologies into scalable production. You will partner with R&D, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to optimize processes and support new product introductions.

Responsibilities include process development, production readiness, CAPA, and mentoring technicians while driving continuous improvement and manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Optics, Optical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing engineering experience.
• Experience leading transfer of technology from development into manufacturing.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes, documentation, and training programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead transition of new optical and laser-based products into manufacturing.
• Implement robust manufacturing processes, work instructions, test methods, and training.
• Collaborate with R&D during product development to ensure manufacturability and scalability.
• Support manufacturing readiness reviews and qualification of processes and stations.

Skills

Optics

Laser systems

Manufacturing engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

If you’re looking for a special place to build or grow your career, you’ve found it. Whether you’re an experienced professional, a recent college graduate or somewhere in between, IDEX is a place where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones in an environment where you can make an impact. With interesting opportunities in engineering, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, HR, finance, and more across more than 40 diverse businesses around the globe, chances are, we have something special for you.

Manufacturing Engineer – Optical Systems & Sustaining Engineering ITAR/EAR CRITERIA: Certain positions with IDEX Corporation and its business units require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations or the Export Administration Regulations. Applicants for these positions may need to be "U.S. Persons," as defined in these regulations. Generally, a "U.S. Person" is a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or an individual who has been granted refugee or asylum status.

About the Role

Join a team of passionate engineers dedicated to delivering next‑generation healthcare technology with exceptional quality, performance, and cost‑effectiveness. As part of the Manufacturing Engineering organization, you will play a critical role in transferring advanced optical technologies from concept and prototype into scalable, high‑quality production environments. This highly visible position offers the opportunity to collaborate with cross‑functional teams including R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production. You will leverage your technical expertise, creativity, and problem‑solving skills to develop manufacturing processes, support new product introductions for successful launches, and optimize existing production systems.

Mission The Manufacturing Engineer – Optical Systems & Sustaining Engineering serves as a key technical resource for optical and laser‑based manufacturing technologies. This role supports both New Product Introduction (NPI) and sustaining engineering activities, contributing to the development, deployment, and continual improvement of optical systems, laser illumination systems, and precision opto‑mechanical assemblies. The engineer will provide technical leadership in manufacturing readiness, process development, production support, troubleshooting, and workforce training while serving as a mentor and consultant to technicians and manufacturing personnel.

Position Summary As a member of the Manufacturing Engineering team, you will be responsible for leading the development, optimization, and sustaining manufacturing processes for optical products and systems. The successful candidate will possess strong technical knowledge in one of the following: optics, lasers, or optical assemblies. A key element is an emphasis on precision manufacturing while demonstrating the ability to rapidly learn new technologies and effectively lead the transition into production. This role supports multiple active product development programs and existing production lines, ensuring successful product launches, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the manufacturing value stream. All members of the Manufacturing Engineering team are expected to embody the company's values of Team, Trust, and Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

New Product Introduction & Manufacturing Readiness

• Lead the transition of new optical and laser‑based products into manufacturing.
• Implement robust manufacturing processes, work instructions, test methods, and training.
• Collaborate with R&D teams during product development to ensure manufacturability and production scalability.
• Support stage‑gate development activities and manufacturing readiness reviews.
• Support qualification & validate manufacturing process and test stations prior to release.

Optical Systems Engineering

• Align and optimize optical tabletop systems and production optical assemblies.
• Support optical system integration, metrology, testing, and performance verification.
• Apply knowledge of optical principles, system tolerancing, and opto‑mechanical integration.
• Support laser illumination systems, optical alignment techniques, and detector‑based measurements.
• Develop fixtures, tooling, and automation to improve manufacturing efficiency and quality.

Sustaining Engineering

• Support existing products through continuous improvement, cost reduction, quality improvement, and obsolescence mitigation initiatives.
• Investigate and resolve manufacturing, supplier, and/or quality issues.
• Drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and root cause analysis activities.
• Partner with Operations and Quality teams to improve production performance and customer satisfaction.
• Maintain technical documentation including work instructions, process specifications, and manufacturing standards.

Production Support & Continuous Improvement

• Provide technical support for production ramp activities and manufacturing operations.
• Mentor technicians and production personnel in troubleshooting, process execution, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and implement productivity improvements through Lean Manufacturing.
• Improve production throughput, yield, labor efficiency, and operational performance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Optics, Optical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of manufacturing engineering experience maintaining existing products and scaling up production throughput.
• Experience leading the transfer of technology from development into manufacturing.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes, documentation, and training programs.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to lead projects and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: Optical assembly, alignment, and metrology
• Precision lens manufacturing and optical system production
• Laser illumination systems
• Opto‑mechanical assemblies
• Optical tabletop setup and alignment
• Optical testing, detectors, and data acquisition systems
• New Product Introduction with production ramp‑up and manufacturing readiness activities
• Sustaining engineering in a production environment

Success Metrics

• Successful on‑time project execution
• Improved manufacturing readiness and production launch success
• Reduced dependency on Manufacturing Engineering and R&D after production handoff
• Effective resolution of production, supplier, and customer quality issues
• Successful scaling of manufacturing operations to support growth programs
• Development of robust manufacturing processes and technical capability within the organization

Strategic Impact

• Expanding manufacturing engineering capacity to support multiple development programs.
• Providing critical expertise in optics, lens manufacturing, and laser‑based systems.
• Reducing single‑point‑of‑failure risks within key technical disciplines.
• Improving manufacturing readiness and production launch performance.
• Supporting current products while enabling successful NPI execution.
• Enhancing responsiveness to customer, quality, and obsolescence‑related challenges.
• Driving operational scalability as additional programs move into production.
• Enabling dedicated focus on productivity, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Attention Applicants

If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please let us know. Likewise, if you are limited in the ability to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, we will determine an alternate way for you to apply. Please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at [e-mail].

IDEX Health & Science LLC., a Unit of IDEX Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity.

Total Rewards

The compensation range for this position is $78,200.00 - $117,200.00, depending on experience. This position may be eligible for performance based bonus plan.

Benefits Package

Our comprehensive U.S. benefit offerings include: Health benefits, 401(k) retirement savings program with company match, PTO, and more. More information on our benefits and rewards can be found on our career page: https://www.idexcorp.com/careers/our-benefits-and-rewards/

IDEX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IDEX gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other consideration or protected category made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.

These contact tools may be used only by individuals with a disability for accommodation requests. Do not inquire as to the status of an application. This posting is for an existing vacancy. Artificial intelligence is not used to screen, assess or select applicants.

IDEX (NYSE: IEX) is a company that has undoubtedly touched your life in some way. In fact, IDEX businesses make thousands of products that are mission‑critical components in everyday activities. Chances are the car you’re driving has a BAND-IT® clamp holding your side airbag safely in place. If you were ever in a car accident, a Hurst Jaws of Life® rescue tool may have saved your life. If you or a family member is battling cancer, your doctor may have tested your DNA in a quest to find the best targeted medicine for you. It’s likely your DNA test was run on equipment that contains components made by our growing IDEX Health & Science team.