Requisition Number: 79776
The company built on breakthroughs. Join us.
Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.
How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward.
At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.
Come break through with us.
Our Solar business delivers industry leading, U.S.-made solar components. We manufacture hyper-pure polysilicon, high-quality solar wafers, and innovative photovoltaic modules, leveraging our leadership in advanced manufacturing to serve growing energy demand. You will be a part of advancing critical U.S. supply chains and delivering unmatched quality and reliability to customers.
Role Purpose
Corning is seeking a senior technical expert in monocrystalline silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing to provide subject-matter expert (SME) support at our flagship solar wafer facility in Hemlock, Michigan. In this role, you will provide hands-on technical leadership and floor-level coaching across our high-volume ingot and wafer operations. As the site’s technical authority in Czochralski (CZ) crystal growth, diamond-wire wafering, and the global PV equipment and consumable landscape, you will lead cross-functional initiatives to increase productivity, elevate product attributes, and reduce unit costs across the entire ingot-to-wafer value chain - ensuring optimal wafer performance for downstream cell and module manufacturing.
Beyond solving complex process challenges, you will serve as a trusted advisor and mentor to plant leadership, engineers, technicians, and shift supervisors. By guiding teams on the manufacturing floor, you will build lasting technical capability, instill daily operating discipline, and coach staff in structured root-cause problem solving and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Process Optimization
- CZ Crystal Growth SME: Provide deep technical expertise across Czochralski (CZ/RCz/CCz) crystal growth, optimizing hot zone design, pull speeds, oxygen/carbon control, dopant management, and quartz crucible performance.
- Diamond-Wire Wafering: Optimize wire-saw operations, including diamond wire selection, wire diameter reduction, slurry-free cutting parameters, kerf loss reduction, and breakage prevention.
- Root-Cause Troubleshooting: Lead investigations into yield loss and wafer defects (such as dislocations, striations, TTV, saw marks, micro-cracks, and edge chipping) to prevent quality excursions.
- Productivity & Cost Reduction: Define and execute engineering roadmaps to improve throughput, equipment uptime, and consumable life, building data-backed business cases focused on unit cost metrics (/W, /kg, and kWh/kg).
Manufacturing Coaching & Floor Support
- Floor-Level Mentoring: Maintain a hands-on "go and see" floor presence to advise plant management, engineers, supervisors, and technicians on daily process control, line ramp-ups, and operating discipline.
- Structured Problem Solving: Coach manufacturing teams using formal methodologies (8D, 5-Why, fishbone, fault-tree analysis, DOE, and SPC), turning live production excursions into practical training cases.
- Standardization & Capability Building: Partner with operations to establish best-practice recipes, SOPs, and control plans while developing technical training and skills matrices to transfer critical knowledge across shifts.
Key Responsibilities (continued)
Downstream Cell & Module Alignment
- Wafer-to-Cell Performance: Optimize key wafer attributes including resistivity, minority-carrier lifetime, metallic impurities, and LID/LeTID behavior to maximize efficiency for downstream cell technologies (PERC, TOPCon, HJT, BC).
- Customer Feedback Loop: Collaborate with downstream cell and module partners to translate field and line feedback into targeted wafer-level improvements.
Global Supplier & Technology Intelligence
- Supplier Evaluation & Qualification: Leverage knowledge of the global and Chinese PV supply base (CZ pullers, hot zones, crucibles, diamond wire, saws, and metrology) to lead equipment audits, benchmarking, and qualification.
- Technology Roadmapping: Track emerging industry advancements, such as n-type wafers, large-format wafers (182/210 mm), continuous CZ, and granular polysilicon, and recommend adoption strategies.
- Vendor Collaboration: Support technical evaluations and supplier negotiations with Chinese equipment and material partners, utilizing Mandarin language skills where needed.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
- 10+ years of hands-on experience in PV or semiconductor ingot and wafer manufacturing.
- Deep, demonstrated experience with CZ crystal growth in a production environment.
- Deep, demonstrated experience with wire-saw slicing operations, including diamond wire processes.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, train, and advise manufacturing teams, including operators, technicians, engineers, and plant leaders. Candidates should show examples of building capability and improving results through others.
- Working knowledge of cell and module manufacturing and how wafer attributes affect them.
- Fluent Mandarin Chinese (speaking, reading, and writing), needed for daily work with suppliers, partners, and manufacturing teams in China.
- Strong, current knowledge of the supplier base and technology landscape for ingot and wafer production.
- Strong analytical and data skills (DOE, SPC, yield and cost modeling).
- Excellent communication skills in English and Mandarin, including the ability to explain complex topics clearly at all levels.
- A collaborative, team-first approach and willingness to work in a cross-functional team.
- Willingness to travel internationally, including to China, as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters of Science (Engineering or equivalent) or PhD is preferred.
- Experience at a leading wafer manufacturer, equipment OEM, or materials supplier.
- Experience with n-type monocrystalline wafers, continuous or recharge CZ, and thin or large-format wafers.
- Familiarity with wafer metrology and characterization (lifetime, FTIR, resistivity, PL imaging, and geometry and stress inspection).
- Experience with technology transfer, new factory ramp-up, or greenfield start-up.
- Training in lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous-improvement methods, ideally with experience teaching them.
- Background in cost modeling or technology road mapping.
Key Competencies
- Demonstrated experience mentoring cross-functional plant teams (engineers, technicians, and shift supervisors) in structured problem-solving methods (8D, 5-Why, DOE) without direct reporting authority.
- Track record of authoring and executing multi-year cost-reduction or technology roadmaps that delivered measurable gains in throughput, consumable life, or unit cost ($/W or $/kg).
- Direct experience leading technical audits, equipment qualifications, and commercial negotiations with Tier-1 ingot and wafer equipment or consumable vendors.
- Proven ability to lead technical discussions across global teams and Asian supply bases, including professional proficiency in Mandarin Chinese to collaborate directly with equipment OEMs and material partners.
- 10+ years of hands-on process or equipment engineering experience in high-volume CZ crystal growth and wire-saw wafering, with a proven track record of resolving line excursions and improving production yield.
This position does not support immigration sponsorship.
The range for this position is $147,927.00 - $203,400.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.
A job that shapes a life.
Corning offers you the total package.
Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.
- Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
- As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
- Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
- Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.
We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.
Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at accommodations@corning.com.
