Optical Process Engineer - Optical Solutions

Molex; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Molex is seeking an Optical Process Engineer to develop and optimize manufacturing processes for cutting-edge fiber optic MEMS-based Optical Circuit Switch products used in AI clusters and data centers. The role spans lab work, process development, and production support across cross-functional teams.

You will work hands-on in the lab, improve process yield, implement DOE studies, and help scale production for high-volume manufacturing while collaborating with suppliers and R&D across sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.
• Internship or career experience in manufacturing, test, or process engineering with electro-optical products.
• Familiarity with reliability testing and environmental qualification protocols.
• Familiar with opto-mechanics and basic electronics.
• Experience working in a lab with equipment.
• Experience with statistical analysis and data analysis.
• Knowledge/Experience with glass, ceramic, metallic materials, and optical adhesives.
• Excellent problem-solving, documentation, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Willingness to work in a cleanroom environment and follow ESD/contamination protocols.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain manufacturing processes for optical modules, including fiber handling, alignment, testing, integration.
• Conduct DOE and statistical analyses to optimize process parameters, reduce variation, and improve yield and throughput.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers to design, develop, and validate fixtures and assembly tools to ensure process repeatability and manufacturability.
• Create and manage process and quality documentation (Work Instructions, process flows, SOPs, ECOs, etc.).
• Investigate in-process failures to determine root cause, implement and verify corrective actions.
• Work with reliability engineering to run reliability tests and drive design/process improvements.
• Support production transfer and ramp up for high volume manufacturing.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing, quality, and supplychain teams.

Skills

Optical engineering

Manufacturing experience

Statistical analysis

Lab experience

Python scripting

Reliability testing

Education

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

Tools

LabVIEW

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Optical Process Engineer - Optical Solutions

Molex is an industry leader in transforming optical network infrastructure with an unwavering commitment to speed, reliability, and performance. We proudly engineer high-performance systems for critical, fast-growing industries including data centers, telecom, medical, and industrial automation. Our team develops an advanced portfolio of optical solutions, ranging from cutting-edge optical connectivity products-such as expanded beam connectors, fiber management, adapters, and hybrid copper/fiber solutions for medical systems-to end-to-end optoelectronic solutions featuring cages, connectors, optical transceivers, and cable assemblies. Supporting extreme data rates from 100 Mbps to 1.6 Tbps across long-haul distances up to 80km+, we deliver complete wavelength management and turnkey OEM solutions. Come join Molex and help build the future of global connectivity

We are looking for an enthusiastic Optical Process Engineer. This person is expected to develop and improve processes that integrate, test, qualify, and transfer to manufacturing cutting-edge fiber optic MEMS-based Optical Circuit Switch (OCS) products for the exciting field of AI Cluster and Data Center. The Process Engineer will work as a member of a dynamic multi-discipline team (product line management, electrical, mechanical, optical, and systems R&D, test development and automation, manufacturing, etc.), with colleagues from cross-continental geographic sites, and interact effectively with internal and external component suppliers.

This role is ideal for an engineer that enjoys handson work in the lab, eager to learn, and motivated to support process development, scaleup, and production troubleshooting for photonic assemblies and modules.

What You Will Do

• Develop and maintain manufacturing processes for optical modules, including fiber handling, alignment, testing , integration, etc.
• Conduct DOE (Design of Experiments) and statistical analyses to optimize process parameters, reduce variation, and improve yield and throughput.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers to design, develop, and validate fixtures and assembly tools to ensure process repeatability and manufacturability.
• Create and manage process and quality documentation (Work Instructions, process flows, SOPs, ECOs, etc.) .
• Investigate in-process failures to determine root cause , implement and verify corrective actions.
• Work with reliability engineering to run reliability tests and drive design/process improvements.
• Support production transfer and ramp up for high volume manufacturing.
• Provide technical support to manufacturing, quality, and supplychain teams .

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Internship or career experience in manufacturing, test, or process engineering with electro-optical products
• Familiarity with reliability testing and environmental qualification protocols.
• Familiar with opto-mechanics and basic electronics.
• Experience working in a lab with equipment
• Experience with statistical analysis and data analysis
• Knowledge/Experience with glass, ceramic, metallic materials, and optical adhesives.
• Excellent problem-solving, documentation, and cross-functional communication skills.
• Willingness to work in a cleanroom environment and follow ESD/contamination protocols.

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience with statistical analysis methods (DOE, Gage R&R, etc.).
• Experience with failure modes and effects analysis.
• Knowledge of MEMS device physics, fabrication, or application.
• Experience with data acquisition systems and scripting (Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB) for test automation and data analysis.
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant field is a plus.

For this role, we anticipate paying $105,000- $145,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here.

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.