Manufacturing Engineer - Optics

Socket.dev; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Voyager Technologies is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer, Optics Lab to translate engineering requirements into repeatable production methods for optical and optomechanical hardware. You will work with operations, optical engineering, quality, and supply chain to meet safety, cleanliness, and performance targets.

The role emphasizes process development, validation, and sustaining production, with independence increasing by level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline as listed.
• Knowledge of manufacturing process development and documentation.
• Experience in optical assembly, alignment, inspection, and metrology.
• Ability to read engineering drawings, BOMs, specs and acceptance criteria.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and improve optical/optomechanical manufacturing processes and controls.
• Support new product introduction, prototype builds, and production releases.
• Develop and validate methods for cleaning, bonding, mounting, alignment, and testing.
• Translate drawings and requirements into production documentation and acceptance criteria.
• Design and sustain optical fixtures, tooling, metrology setups, and environmental controls.
• Analyze yield, alignment performance, defects, cycle time, and costs.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions for optical issues and contamination.
• Collaborate with engineering to improve manufacturability and cost.
• Participate in design reviews, PFMEA, capacity reviews, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and industry standards.

Skills

Manufacturing process knowledge

Optical alignment experience

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Industrial Engineering

Tools

ERP/MRP

MES

PLM

CAD

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Voyager is an innovative defense, national security and space technology company committed to advancing and delivering transformative, mission-critical solutions. We tackle the most complex challenges to unlock new frontiers for human progress, fortify national security, and protect critical assets to lead in the race for technological and operational superiority from ground to space.

Forge the Future: Join Voyager Technologies

The future belongs to those who build it. At Voyager Technologies, we’re building technologies that protect lives, expand frontiers and prepare us for what’s next. And we’re doing that with people who are wired to solve, build, adapt and lead. These roles are not for the faint of heart.

You’ll help lay the foundation for humanity's future. Join a culture where innovation thrives, curiosity is rewarded, and impact is real. We’re a company of doers, thinkers and builders, united by purpose and grounded in reality.

If you want to put your skills to work where the stakes are real and the mission is bigger than any one person, forge the future with Voyager.

Position Summary

The Manufacturing Engineer, Optics Lab is responsible for developing, improving, documenting, validating, and sustaining manufacturing processes used to assemble, align, inspect, test, handle, and integrate optical and optomechanical hardware. This role translates engineering requirements into repeatable production methods and supports operations, optical engineering, quality, supply chain, and program teams to achieve safety, cleanliness, optical performance, quality, delivery, cost, and production-readiness objectives. Scope and independence increase by level.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and improve optical and optomechanical manufacturing processes, work instructions, travelers, routings, process specifications, tooling, fixtures, and production controls.
• Support new product introduction, prototype builds, pilot production, production release, capacity planning, and sustaining production within the optics lab.
• Develop and validate repeatable methods for optical cleaning, handling, bonding, mounting, alignment, focus adjustment, inspection, metrology, and final integration.
• Translate optical drawings, alignment requirements, tolerances, test requirements, and contamination controls into executable production documentation and acceptance criteria.
• Design, procure, qualify, and sustain optical assembly fixtures, alignment tooling, metrology setups, test equipment, process aids, and environmental controls.
• Analyze yield, alignment performance, optical test results, defects, rework, cycle time, labor hours, process capability, and production constraints.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for optical performance issues, contamination events, workmanship defects, alignment escapes, equipment variation, and process instability.
• Work with optical, mechanical, electrical, test, and quality engineering to improve manufacturability, assembly sequence, tolerance allocation, testability, reliability, and cost.
• Support nonconformance reviews, material review board activities, engineering change implementation, and disposition of optical components and assemblies.
• Establish process controls for cleanliness, electrostatic discharge, environmental conditions, material shelf life, adhesive preparation and cure, calibration, and tool control as applicable.
• Develop training and qualification requirements for optical technicians, assemblers, inspectors, and production leads; provide hands‑on build and troubleshooting support.
• Support supplier technical reviews, incoming inspection criteria, process transfers, and production readiness for optical components, coatings, assemblies, and specialized services.
• Participate in design reviews, production readiness reviews, risk reviews, PFMEA activities, capacity reviews, and continuous improvement events.
• Ensure optics-lab manufacturing processes comply with customer requirements, safety practices, quality procedures, configuration controls, and applicable industry standards.
• Mentor less experienced engineers and technical personnel as appropriate for level.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Knowledge of manufacturing process development, production documentation, root cause analysis, process validation, and continuous improvement methods.
• Working knowledge of optical assembly, alignment, inspection, metrology, precision handling, or optomechanical integration principles.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, optical drawings, bills of material, specifications, work instructions, test data, and acceptance requirements.
• Strong communication, hands‑on problem‑solving, data analysis, and cross‑functional coordination skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, defense, space, medical, laser, imaging, lidar, semiconductor, or other high‑reliability optical manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting production optical alignment, precision bonding, optical cleaning, contamination control, metrology, environmental testing, or failure analysis.
• Familiarity with interferometers, autocollimators, collimators, alignment telescopes, microscopes, power meters, beam profilers, coordinate measurement systems, or related optical lab equipment.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, control plans, statistical process control, measurement system analysis, process capability, and process validation.
• Experience with ERP/MRP, MES, PLM, CAD, data‑acquisition systems, statistical analysis tools, MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering tools.
• Experience with AS9100, ISO 9001, NASA workmanship standards, cleanroom or contamination‑control practices, ESD controls, or related production standards.

The good‑faith base salary range (OR hourly range) for this role is $85,000–$135,000 at the time of this posting. Where you fall within the range depends on your experience, skills, and location. This range reflects base salary only and does not include benefits or bonus/incentive. This range may be adjusted in the future.

Voyager offers a comprehensive, total compensation package, which includes competitive salary, a discretionary annual bonus plan, paid time off (PTO), a comprehensive health benefit package, retirement savings, wellness program, and various other benefits. When you join our team, you’re not just an employee; you become part of a dynamic community dedicated to innovation and excellence.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Voyager is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.

California pay range

$85,000—$135,000 USD