Full-Time

Manufacturing Engineering Lead

Posted on 6/13/2026

Ocean Optics

Ocean Optics

51-200 employees

Manufactures portable spectrometers and sensing solutions

No salary listed

Westminster, CA, USA

In Person

Category
Mechanical Engineering (1)

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Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
  • 5+ years of hands-on manufacturing engineering experience in a production environment.
  • Strong background in lean manufacturing, time studies, and process optimization.
  • Experience commissioning equipment and supporting automation projects.
  • Ability to work cross-functionally and execute in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities
  • Lead the establishment and sustainment of one-piece flow where applicable, including line balancing, layout optimization, and waste reduction.
  • Conduct and maintain time studies, labor standards, and standard work to ensure accurate capacity assumptions and efficient production flow.
  • Identify, prioritize, and execute continuous improvement initiatives that improve throughput, reduce variability, and support labor efficiency targets.
  • Lead machine commissioning, process qualification, and equipment validation activities in support of stable, efficient production.
  • Lead automation and equipment-related projects by defining manufacturing requirements, supporting vendor integration, validating process capability, and ensuring safe, stable handoff to production.
  • Troubleshoot complex process and equipment issues and drive root cause corrective actions.
  • Support product and process transfers by providing technical input, process readiness validation, capacity assessment, and manufacturing documentation.
  • Partner with Project Management for transfer execution and timelines, with Manufacturing Engineering owning technical readiness and manufacturability.
  • Work closely with Quality to ensure process capability, defect prevention, and traceability are embedded into manufacturing processes.
  • Collaborate with Supply Chain and Planning to support material readiness, labor assumptions, and production feasibility.
  • Mentor production teams and junior engineering staff to strengthen technical capability and problem-solving on the floor.
  • Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation including work instructions, process flows, PFMEAs, and standard work.
  • Ensure changes are properly reviewed, documented, and communicated prior to implementation.

Ocean Optics makes compact spectroscopy hardware and related optical sensing tools. Its flagship products are miniature, portable spectrometers used to measure light across wavelengths for scientists and engineers in fields like chemical analysis, environmental monitoring, and industrial sensing. The devices work by detecting light that passes through or reflects from a sample and translating it into a spectrum—the distribution of light by wavelength—using optical components and a small detector. The company differentiates itself with a modular approach and small, affordable spectrometers that can be integrated into custom systems or handheld devices, enabling researchers to build compact spectroscopic tools rather than relying on large, expensive lab equipment. Ocean Optics' goal is to broaden access to spectral data by providing versatile, scalable sensing solutions that allow users to deploy spectroscopy across a wide range of applications and environments.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Dunedin, Florida

Founded

1989

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Edmund Optics partnership expands global distribution since August 2025.
  • Halma acquisition in 2004 enables cross-selling in water treatment.
  • Miniaturization trend boosts IoT and remote sensing market capture.

What critics are saying

  • Chinese manufacturers commoditize miniature spectrometers, eroding moats.
  • Halma underinvests R&D versus PerkinElmer and Shimadzu focus.
  • International Light Technologies acquisition threatens operational autonomy.

What makes Ocean Optics unique

  • Ocean Optics released world's first miniature spectrometer in 1992.
  • Pioneered modular spectroscopy for portable environmental sensing.
  • Leads in high SNR Ocean SR series spectrometers since 2023.

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Benefits

Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-2%

1 year growth

-1%

2 year growth

1%
Ocean Optics
Aug 12th, 2025
Ocean Optics Partners with Edmund Optics for Global Distribution

ORLANDO, Fla. - (August 14, 2025) - Ocean Optics, a pioneer in modular spectroscopy and a trusted name in optical sensing, is proud to announce a new Supplier Partner relationship with Edmund Optics.

Ocean Optics
Jun 23rd, 2025
Ocean Optics Launches Bioz Tool

To further enhance visibility and engagement, Ocean Optics has also added a Bioz Homepage Banner, ensuring that visitors immediately discover the powerful citation management capabilities available on its website.

EIN News
Sep 8th, 2023
Ocean Insight Announces Richard Curran as New President

Ocean Insight announces Richard Curran as new president.

Ocean Insight
Jun 22nd, 2023
Women in Engineering Day 2023

Ocean Insight has been named the Best Place to Work in both Central Florida and New York state.

Ocean Insight
May 3rd, 2023
Press Release: New Ocean SR series

Orlando, Florida, USA (May 4, 2023) – Ocean Optics, a brand of Ocean Insight, introduces compact, versatile Ocean SR series spectrometers distinguished by their rapid spectral acquisition speed and high signal to noise ratio (SNR) performance.

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