Principal Manufacturing Engineer - NPI

A day in your life at MKS:

Spectra-Physics is the Lasers Business Unit of MKS Instruments. Do you thrive working in a team environment and are self-driven with natural leadership skills? We have an excellent opportunity for someone like you to join our team as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer - NPI. In this position, you will work alongside Product Development Engineering to develop and manufacture cutting-edge laser technology products. We push the boundaries of possibility to develop a wide range of nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond lasers that address the needs of Industrial, Scientific, and Life and Health markets enabling the technologies that transform our world.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Help to create seamless transitions of new products into volume production
• Participate in early design concepts focusing on design for excellence.
• Create bills of materials
• Create sequence of events and operational method sheets/work instructions and routings
• Identify, trouble-shoot and effectively translate issues into a robust manufacturing process
• Identify critical process parameters to track, creating a robust dataset for yield and process improvements
• Setup and run a pilot/qualification production line
• Plan, prepare and execute transfer to manufacturing including contract manufacturing

Skills You Bring:

• BS degree in Optics, Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline and 5+ years of work experience
• Experience in the use of laser test equipment, both optical (power meters, spectrometers, interferometers, etc.) and electrical (oscilloscopes, signal generators, spectrum analyzers, etc.)
• Experience in product transition into a volume manufacturing environment including contract manufacturing.
• Strong commitment to process control and quality
• Experience in leading Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis and DFx type activities
• Working knowledge of manufacturing procedure and process flow; experience and knowledge of 5S and lean manufacturing

These Skills are Also Nice to Have:

• SAP, Agile, other ERP and product lifecycle management systems
• Systematic problem-solving approaches like 8D or 5WHY

We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

Compensation and Benefits:
Salary Pay Range: $11,900 to 207,900 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. At MKS, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.

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, 11 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.).

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Instruments, 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:

If applying for a specific job, please include the requisition number (ex: RXXXX), the title and location of the role.