Process Engineer

Lightera; Avon (CT); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with match

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Casual work environment

Job summary

LIGHTERA is seeking a Process Engineer to join our Avon, CT team and support continued business growth.

This role designs, develops, and optimizes manufacturing processes for fiber-sensor products, with responsibilities spanning new process launches, improvements, and troubleshooting production issues. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams in Lightera labs and partner locations, advancing automation, DOE studies, and documentation to drive efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in optical, electrical, mechanical, or industrial engineering; equivalent experience considered.
• 3+ years of process development experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of fiber optics, FBGs, and fiber-optic sensing.
• Experience with DOE, 8D, statistical analysis, and project management.
• Ability to train production technicians and improve production information flow.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and improve sensing inscription and testing processes.
• Increase throughput, yield, productivity, and cost efficiency.
• Map process, communication, and quality-control flows.
• Plan and run experiments, collect data, and analyze results to identify improvement opportunities.
• Develop and implement process improvement roadmaps, including automation and digital transformation projects.
• Create and maintain process documentation, including DFMEA and PFMEA.
• Train production staff on new processes and support certification activities.
• Ensure process integrity and performance to meet production goals and resolve process issues.
• Participate in sensing research, product development, and cross-functional technical projects.
• Provide technical support to customers and internal teams, including quality and supply chain.
• Collaborate with technical teams across Lightera labs and partner locations.
• Stay current on emerging technologies and ensure processes remain safe, efficient, and compliant.

Skills

Process development

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Optical/Electrical/Mechanical/Industrial engineering

Tools

CAD software

DOE

8D

Statistical analysis

Job description

LIGHTERA has one of the longest and most respectable corporate lineages in American business, which goes back to Alexander Graham Bell and the invention of the telephone more than a century ago. We have a proven track record of being first in the industry with application specific fibers, optical connectors, ribbon cables, erbium doped fibers, Raman fiber lasers, fiber gratings and more. Our mission is to provide leading optical innovations and solutions by designing, manufacturing and supplying the best optical fibers, fiber cable and components and devices for our customers, with exceptional service that creates value for our shareholders, customers and employees. To do so, we must continue shaping the future of communications by applying the best minds to the challenges our customers will continually face.

We are seeking a Process Engineer to join our Avon, CT team and support continued business growth.

This position designs, develops, improves, and optimizes manufacturing processes for fiber-sensor products. The role includes launching new processes, enhancing existing processes, and troubleshooting production issues.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities Include

• Design, develop, and improve sensing inscription and testing processes.
• Increase process readiness, throughput, yield, productivity, and cost efficiency.
• Map process, communication, and quality-control flows.
• Plan and run experiments, collect data, and analyze results to identify improvement opportunities.
• Develop and implement process improvement roadmaps, including automation and digital transformation projects.
• Create and maintain process documentation, including DFMEA and PFMEA.
• Train production staff on new processes and support certification activities.
• Ensure process integrity and performance to meet production goals and resolve process issues.
• Participate in sensing research, product development, and cross-functional technical projects.
• Provide technical support to customers and internal teams, including quality and supply chain.
• Collaborate with technical teams across Lightera labs and partner locations.
• Stay current on emerging technologies and ensure processes remain safe, efficient, and compliant.

Key Qualifications Include

• Bachelor’s degree in optical, electrical, mechanical, or industrial engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 3+ years of process development experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of fiber optics, FBGs, and fiber-optic sensing.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and a hands-on approach to problem-solving.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience with DOE, 8D, statistical analysis, and project management.
• Experience with process recipe development, technical writing, and production documentation, including work instructions and procedures.
• Ability to train and certify production technicians and improve production and information flow.
• Familiarity with continuous improvement methods, including Lean, 6S, cost reduction, quality enhancement, safety, and yield improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Experience with CAD software and other engineering tools.
• A motivated, team-focused approach and a commitment to strong customer service.

Working At LIGHTERA Means Having The Opportunity To Realize Ideas, Experience Innovation And Discover New Solutions For The Future. In Addition To Our Dynamic Work Environment, We Offer The Following For Our Employees

• Competitive salaries and generous benefits programs, including health, dental, vision and well-being.
• Company-sponsored 401(k) plan with a generous match and no vesting period.
• Tuition assistance, on-the-job training and opportunities for growth and advancement. We promote from within.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) program and paid holidays.
• Casual work environment, PPE, safety eyeglass and shoe allowance.
• Clean, climate-controlled, modern facility with state of the art equipment.

Employees are expected to serve as role models for safe work practices and behaviors. This includes following established health and safety policies and procedures, maintaining a clean, organized work area, wearing, and properly storing all personal protective equipment (PPE), and actively engaging as a safety conscious worker with personal safety and wellness as a priority.

Visa sponsorship not available. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or any immigration support (including STEM OPT training plan) for this position.

About Lightera

Lightera is a global leader in optical fiber and connectivity solutions, delivering innovative technologies that drive communication networks, data centers, and specialty photonics applications. With a deep legacy of expertise in optical science, we provide high-performance solutions that enable faster, more reliable, and more sustainable connections for businesses, communities, and industries worldwide.

Headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, U.S.A., Lightera operates with a global footprint, serving customers across telecommunications, enterprise, industrial, generative AI, data centers, 5G/6G, utilities, medical, aerospace, defense, and sensing markets. Lightera is part of Furukawa Electric Group, a multi-billion-dollar leader in optical communications.

Lightera is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.