Manufacturing/NPI Engineer - Optics

Protagonist Management LLC; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Competitive salary and equity options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Exowatt in Austin, TX is seeking a Manufacturing/NPI Engineer focused on optics to move precision optical components from prototype to high-volume production. You will own manufacturing readiness, collaborate with design engineers and suppliers, and ensure quality, cost, and ramp targets are met.

Relocation to Austin is provided. The role requires 4+ years in optical manufacturing/NPI, hands-on metrology, and experience transitioning hardware through NPI gates into volume production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, Physics, or related field.
• 4+ years of manufacturing, process, or NPI engineering experience with precision optical components or optomechanical assemblies.
• Hands-on experience with optical metrology tools and methods (interferometry, spectrophotometry, CMM, imaging-based alignment verification).

Responsibilities

• Own new product introduction (NPI) for optical components and assemblies from design-for-manufacturing feedback through pilot builds and volume ramp.
• Develop, document, and validate manufacturing and assembly processes for precision optics including alignment, bonding, coating, cleaning, handling.
• Define and implement optical metrology and quality controls with acceptance criteria for suppliers.
• Qualify and develop optics manufacturing and assembly suppliers domestically and internationally: audits, first article inspections, PPAP.
• Partner with design engineering to translate optical performance requirements into manufacturable specifications and tolerances.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for optical yield, quality, and reliability issues across pilot and production builds.
• Drive cost-reduction and yield-improvement initiatives balancing optical performance, manufacturability and cost.
• Build documentation backbone: work instructions, control plans, PFMEAs, and process flow diagrams for optical manufacturing and assembly.
• Travel to supplier and manufacturing sites (domestic and international) as needed.

Skills

NPI engineering

Optical fabrication

Optical metrology

Supplier management

GD&T

Root cause analysis

Volume manufacturing

Process troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering or related field

Tools

CMM

Interferometry

Spectrophotometry

Coating processes

Job description

Exowatt is revolutionizing the energy landscape for the AI era with our groundbreaking P3 system that captures solar energy, stores it as heat, and generates electricity on demand. Founded in 2023 and backed by leading investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sam Altman, and Felicis, we're committed to providing clean, modular, and scalable power that meets the rapidly growing demands of AI infrastructure. Our mission is to make sustainable renewable energy always available and almost free, enabling technological advancement while protecting our planet.

We are seeking a Manufacturing/NPI Engineer focused on optics to take our precision optical components such as lenses, mirrors, coatings, and concentrator assemblies from engineering prototype to high-volume production. Optics sit at the heart of the P3 system: every watt we deliver starts with how precisely we capture and concentrate sunlight. You will own the manufacturing readiness of these components, working hands-on with design engineers, suppliers, and production teams to hit the quality, cost, and ramp targets that make our product possible at scale.

This position is based in Austin, TX, and requires relocation to Austin, TX if you are hired. We provide relocation assistance. Domestic and international travel to supplier and manufacturing sites is required when necessary.

Key Responsibilities

• Own new product introduction (NPI) for optical components and assemblies — from design-for-manufacturing feedback during development through pilot builds, qualification, and volume ramp

• Develop, document, and validate manufacturing and assembly processes for precision optics, including alignment, bonding, coating, cleaning, and handling procedures

• Define and implement optical metrology and quality controls — surface figure, transmittance/reflectance, alignment tolerances, coating durability — and the acceptance criteria suppliers are held to

• Qualify and develop optics manufacturing and assembly suppliers domestically and internationally: run process audits, first article inspections, PPAP/qualification builds, and drive corrective actions to closure

• Partner with design engineering to translate optical performance requirements into manufacturable specifications, realistic tolerances, and scalable processes

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for optical yield, quality, and reliability issues across pilot and production builds

• Drive cost-reduction and yield-improvement initiatives as production scales, balancing optical performance against manufacturability and cost

• Build the documentation backbone for scale: work instructions, control plans, PFMEAs, and process flow diagrams for optical manufacturing and assembly

• Travel to supplier and manufacturing sites (domestic and international) to support builds, qualifications, and issue resolution

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of manufacturing, process, or NPI engineering experience with precision optical components or optomechanical assemblies — lenses, mirrors, coatings, concentrators, or comparable high-precision hardware

• Working knowledge of optical fabrication and assembly processes (molding, polishing, coating, replication, precision alignment and bonding) and where they break at volume

• Hands-on experience with optical metrology tools and methods (interferometry, spectrophotometry, CMM, imaging-based alignment verification, or equivalent)

• Experience taking hardware through NPI phase gates — prototype, EVT/DVT/PVT or equivalent — into volume production

• Demonstrated supplier-facing experience: qualification builds, audits, first article inspection, and driving corrective action with external partners

• Fluency with core quality tools: GD&T, SPC, PFMEA, control plans, and structured root cause methods (8D, 5-Why, or similar)

• Bachelor's degree in Optical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, Physics, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated engineering depth

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience manufacturing optics for solar, automotive, lighting, display, or other cost-driven high-volume applications (vs. low-volume scientific/aerospace optics)

• Familiarity with Fresnel lenses, lamination process, reflector/concentrator optics, or non-imaging optics

• Knowledge of optical coating processes and environmental durability testing (abrasion, humidity, thermal cycling, UV exposure)

• Experience standing up new production lines or transferring processes between suppliers or geographies, including in Asia

• Working knowledge of injection molding, glass forming, or roll-to-roll replication for optical surfaces

• Experience in an early-stage or fast-ramp hardware environment where you built the process rather than inherited it

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and equity options.
• Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans.
• A dynamic work environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Relocation assistance.