Manufacturing Technician

Job Summary: We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Technician to join our Operations group in Budd Lake, NJ. This role involves operating manual and automated grinding, lapping, and polishing equipment to fabricate and finish optical crystals and components. The technician will set up equipment, fixture parts, prepare tooling and abrasives, perform inspections and measurements, document results, and follow established safety and quality procedures.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Crystal Fabrication: Saw, core, grind, drill, shape, lap, and dimension optical crystals using precision equipment, tooling, and fixtures.
• Crystal Polishing: Prepare polishing tools and slurries; polish crystals to meet specified dimensions, surface finish, flatness, parallelism, radius, and optical quality.
• Thin-Film Coating: Clean and fixture components; verify part numbers and coating recipes; operate coating equipment and optical monitoring systems; perform post-coating inspection and testing.
• Optical Inspection: Perform visual, dimensional, surface-quality, spectral, adhesion, and other required inspections using microscopes, gauges, interferometers, spectrometers, and related equipment.
• Optical Assembly: Assemble crystals and components into optical isolators, modulators, and related photonic products, including cleaning, bonding, soldering, alignment, and precision mechanical assembly.
• Documentation and Quality: Complete travelers, inspection records, and electronic manufacturing records accurately; identify and report defects, nonconformances, and process deviations.
• Equipment and Process Control: Perform equipment setup, routine checks, basic troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and process adjustments within authorized limits.
• Safety and Cleanroom Compliance: Follow cleanroom, ESD, laser-safety, chemical-handling, contamination-control, and all applicable environmental, health, and safety requirements.

• Team Collaboration and Improvement: Support engineering builds, new product introduction, process qualification, root-cause investigations, training, and continuous-improvement activities while meeting production, quality, yield, and schedule requirements.

Education & Experience

• High School Diploma required.

• 5 years' experience in complex high mix environment. 

Skills

• Strong mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills for automated equipment. 

Working Conditions

• This role will be based 100% on-site in Budd Lake, NJ
• Regular use of a computer and other office equipment is necessary.

• Regular use of equipment and machinery in an industrial environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand for prolonged period in production environment 
• Ability to lift and move up to 40 lbs occasionally material/equipment on manufacturing floor 
• Adhere to all safety requirements for the job task including but not limited to safety shoes, fire retardant suites, full face respirators and Hot Work PPEs for handling molten material in furnace.
• Sitting for extended periods while working on a computer or in meetings.
• Use of hands and fingers for typing, writing, and handling documents.

Safety Requirements

All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.

Quality and Environmental Responsibilities

Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.

Culture Commitment

Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:

Integrity – Create an Environment of Trust

Collaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas

Accountability – Own the Process and the Outcome

Respect – Recognize the Value in Everyone

Enthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work

Coherent Corp. is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.