Manufacturing Supervisor - Optics Fabrication - 2nd Shift

MKS Instruments, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 71,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

12 paid holidays

15 paid vacation days

Parental leave

Job summary

A Manufacturing Supervisor at MKS Instruments leads daily operations in a precision optical environment, directing grinding, polishing, metrology, and related fabrication processes to meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives. You will report to the Senior Manufacturing Supervisor and collaborate across Engineering, Quality, Planning, Maintenance, and Supply Chain.

You will drive production schedules, sustain lean practices, and mentor teams while championing continuous improvement in

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of manufacturing leadership experience in high-precision environments.
• Experience supervising skilled manufacturing employees.
• Strong understanding of production scheduling, capacity planning, and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead fabrication personnel to meet safety, quality, and productivity goals.
• Develop employee skills through coaching and training.
• Drive daily production schedules balancing demand and capacity.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Maintenance, and Supply Chain.
• Support lean manufacturing, 5S, visual management, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with EHS and quality systems.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Production scheduling

Lean Manufacturing

Cross-functional teamwork

Problem solving

Job description

A Day in Your Life at MKS: As a Manufacturing Supervisor in Optics Fabrication at MKS Instruments, you will lead daily operations within a precision optical manufacturing environment, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives are consistently achieved. You will oversee production teams engaged in grinding, polishing, deterministic finishing, metrology, and related fabrication processes supporting advanced optics used in semiconductor, photonics, laser, and metrology applications. In this role, you will report to the Senior Manufacturing Supervisor.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading and developing fabrication personnel to achieve production, quality, safety, and continuous improvement objectives.
• Developing employee skills through training, coaching, performance feedback, and cross‑functional development opportunities.
• Driving accountability for operational excellence while fostering a culture of teamwork, engagement, and continuous learning.
• Driving execution of daily production schedules while balancing customer demand, equipment capacity, material availability, and operational priorities.
• Coordinating workflow across optical fabrication processes including shaping, grinding, polishing, deterministic finishing, cleaning, and metrology.
• Monitoring production performance metrics and implementing corrective actions to improve throughput, yield, cycle time, and on‑time delivery.
• Partnering with Engineering, Quality, Planning, Maintenance, and Supply Chain teams to resolve manufacturing issues and support new product introductions.
• Supporting and sustaining lean manufacturing, 5S, visual management, standard work, and continuous improvement initiatives within the fabrication area.
• Ensuring compliance with cleanroom requirements, manufacturing procedures, EHS standards, and quality management systems.

Skills You Bring

• 3–5 years of manufacturing leadership experience, preferably in optics, photonics, semiconductor, precision machining, coating, aerospace, or other high‑precision manufacturing environments.
• Experience directly supervising skilled, non‑exempt manufacturing employees in a production setting.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, production scheduling, capacity planning, and operational performance management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in achieving safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals.
• Experience troubleshooting production issues through data‑driven analysis and structured problem‑solving techniques.
• Ability to work effectively with cross‑functional teams including Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Operations leadership.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, 5S, and visual management principles.
• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams, influence stakeholders, and drive execution.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment supporting both production and new technology implementation.

Preferred Skills

• The successful candidate will be a hands‑on leader who thrives in a precision manufacturing environment, effectively balancing production execution, employee development, operational discipline, and continuous improvement while supporting the growth of Irvine's advanced optics fabrication capabilities.

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary Pay Range: $71,025.00 - 118,375.00 USD per year.
• Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].
• Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.].

Equal Opportunity Employer

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law.

Please review our EOE statements for additional details.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.

Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs.

We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.

MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: [e-mail].

Culture & Values

At MKS, it’s all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It’s not just a job – it’s what you make of it.

While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on‑the‑job and formal training, as well as educational assistance.

Curiosity is key at MKS – ask questions, own your path. Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries.

The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong.

Diversity isn’t just a nice‑to‑have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets. With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data. We’re the behind‑the‑scenes support for some amazing technology. MKS Inc., enables technologies that transform our world.