Lead, Manufacturing Engineer

Job Title: Lead, Manufacturing Engineer (Precision Optics Process Engineer) Job Code: 47215 Job Location: Rochester, New York Job Schedule: 5/8 (Monday-Friday)

Job Description:

L3Harris’s Optics department in Rochester, NY, is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to support the production of high-quality optical components for cutting-edge astronomical, high-energy laser, and earth imaging applications. This role is for an Optical Process Engineer specializing in CNC-controlled deterministic grind, polish, and smoothing. This role will specialize in sub aperture deterministic finishing for optical fabrication. You will play a key role in developing and improving manufacturing processes used to produce mission-critical optical components. You’ll leverage your expertise in grinding and polishing to improve process consistency, product quality, and throughput across our optical fabrication work center. Be a part of a team that pioneers precision manufacturing in optical technologies.

Essential Functions:

• Evaluate technical alternatives and communicate their impact on performance, cost, and schedule.
• Prioritize tasks based on schedule requirements and process availability.
• Translate complex technical requirements into clear, actionable guidance for engineers and shop-floor technicians.
• Develop, optimize, and sustain fabrication processes for high-precision optical components, including grinding, loose-abrasive smoothing and polishing of optical materials such as fused silica, Zerodur, ULE, or SiC.
• Support fabrication improvement projects that enhance yield, repeatability, throughput, and process capability.
• Introduce new optical processes into manufacturing by creating process plans, selecting tooling, defining work holding methods, and establishing in-process inspection steps.
• Establish and optimize blocking and deblocking processes for a range of optical geometries and materials, with consideration for alignment, bond integrity, thermal effects, removal forces, and risk of part damage during fabrication.
• Apply structured problem-solving to diagnose fabrication issues using root-cause analysis, process data, operator feedback, and metrology results.
• Partner with quality and metrology teams to verify product conformance and improve correlation between in-process measurements and final optical requirements.
• Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and planning to standardize best practices and implement process improvements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.
• Ability to obtain a Secret security clearance

Preferred Additional Skills:

• Have or the ability to obtain SSBI with Polygraph.
• Able to support multiple projects in various stages of readiness.
• Independently coordinate complex manufacturing and measurement activities.
• Experience with large-aperture optics or other demanding precision components.
• Experience resolving problems involving both fabrication and metrology.
• Strong communicator, written and verbal communication skills within and outside of function.
• Background in optics, precision machining, polishing, metrology, CNC, or process engineering.
• Working knowledge of optical metrology methods including interferometry, profilometry, spherometer, thickness measurement, and cosmetic inspection.
• Background in design for manufacturability for optical components.
• Strong, specialized knowledge of optical fabrication consistent with Lead technical roles.
• Requires strong knowledge of optics manufacturing.

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in New York is $101,500 - $188,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.