Senior Manufacturing Engineer

Summary:

We are the people behind the products that help keep the world connected at home, school, work, at play, and everywhere in between. VIAVI employees are passionate about supporting customer success and we welcome people who bring their best every day to the company - to question, to collaborate and to push for solutions that will delight our customers.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Senior Manufacturing Engineer

VIAVI Solutions - Fiber Instruments NPI | Indianapolis, IN

Summary

Join the founding members of a new Operations Engineering NPI team in Indianapolis, chartered with bringing VIAVI's next generation of fiber optic test instruments - OTDR modules, handheld fiber testers, optical power meters and sources, and automated fiber certification platforms - from R&D into volume manufacturing. As the Senior Manufacturing Engineer, you own how these products get built: the process flow, the tooling and fixturing, the work instructions, and the qualification that proves the line can produce them repeatably and at cost. You will work in close partnership with R&D in Indianapolis and VIAVI's prime fiber optic design center in St. Etienne, France, and with our internal and contract manufacturing factories.

Note to Applicants: This is a factory process and industrialization role. It is NOT a product design, field service, or production supervision position.

Professional Growth and Tooling

We're building this team from the ground up and investing in the right engineer to help shape it:

• Photonics Process Training: Structured ramp-up on fiber handling, splicing, connectorization, and optical cleanliness control if you are coming from an adjacent electromechanical or electro-optical background.
• Greenfield Ownership: Define the process architecture, documentation standards, and tooling strategy for a portfolio, rather than inheriting someone else's.
• Global Exposure: Direct working relationships with an international R&D organization and with contract manufacturing partners.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Manufacturing Process Definition

• Define the build process: Own end-to-end manufacturing process design for new fiber optic instruments - process flow, assembly sequence, station definition, routings, and work content - from PCBA integration through optical subassembly, final assembly, calibration, and pack-out.
• Optical assembly processes: Develop and qualify processes for fiber handling and routing, bend radius control, splicing and connectorization, optical connector integration (SC/LC/FC, UPC/APC), adhesive dispense and cure, and optical subassembly alignment.
• Contamination control: Establish connector end-face inspection and cleaning protocols to industry standards and the broader cleanliness discipline that fiber optic assembly yield depends on.
• Line design and capacity: Define line layout, station ergonomics, cycle time, line balance, and labor content; model capacity against forecast volumes and identify the constraints before they bite.

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

• Partner with R&D in Indianapolis and St. Etienne from concept phase forward, providing structured DFM/DFA feedback on part design, tolerance stack-up, fastening and joining methods, optical accessibility, and assembly sequence.
• Participate in design reviews as the manufacturing voice; quantify the cost and yield impact of design choices rather than asserting them.
• Drive design changes that reduce part count, assembly time, scrap risk, and the need for skilled manual operations.

Tooling, Fixturing, and Equipment

• Specify, design, procure, and qualify assembly tooling, fixtures, jigs, and process equipment, working with internal resources and external suppliers.
• Partner with the Senior Test Engineer to ensure assembly fixturing and test fixturing interfaces are compatible and CM-ready.
• Develop and execute equipment qualification and process validation protocols; own the data that proves a process is capable before release.
• Build capital justifications for tooling and equipment in support of the Operations Engineering Manager's capital plan.

Documentation and Process Control

• Author and maintain manufacturing documentation: work instructions, visual aids, process specifications, assembly drawings, routings, and inspection criteria.
• Lead PFMEA development and translate the output into control plans with defined process controls, reaction plans, and inspection points.
• Apply statistical methods - SPC, process capability (Cpk), and designed experiments - to characterize and control critical processes.
• Manage engineering change orders (ECOs) affecting manufacturing, including BOM structure, routing, and documentation impact.

Pilot Build, Launch, and Transfer

• Plan and lead prototype, pilot, and first-article builds; capture issues, drive them to root cause, and close them before production release.
• Prepare the complete manufacturing transfer package and lead the transfer of new products to internal VIAVI factories and contract manufacturing partners.
• Train factory and CM engineering and production staff on new processes; validate that the receiving site can execute the process as designed.
• Support production ramp on site, resolving process issues in real time and confirming yield and cycle time targets are met.

Sustaining and Continuous Improvement

• Monitor yield, scrap, rework, and cycle time across the portfolio; lead root cause investigation and permanent corrective action for manufacturing escapes.
• Drive cost reduction and productivity improvement using Lean and Six Sigma methods.
• Maintain process documentation and tooling throughout the product lifecycle, including support for component obsolescence and second-source qualification.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Communicate effectively with R&D (Indianapolis and St. Etienne), Product Line Management, Quality, Supply Chain, and contract manufacturing partners, including across time zones.
• As a founding member of a new team, help establish team norms and practices in addition to individual technical delivery.
• Report status against commitments, demonstrate self-directed initiative, and mentor less experienced engineers and technicians as the team grows.

Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements:

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.

Experience and Technical Skills

• 5+ Years in Manufacturing or NPI Engineering: Developing and qualifying assembly processes for electronic, electromechanical, or electro-optical products.
• NPI Toolset: Demonstrated command of DFM/DFA, PFMEA, control plans, first article inspection, process capability analysis, and build readiness reviews.
• Documentation Discipline: Proven ability to author clear, unambiguous work instructions and process specifications that a production operator can actually follow.
• Tooling and Fixture Development: Experience specifying and qualifying assembly tooling and fixtures; familiarity with 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Creo, or equivalent).
• Precision Assembly: Hands-on experience with high-precision, low-tolerance assembly involving delicate components and contamination-sensitive processes.
• Statistical Methods: Practical application of SPC, Cpk, and root cause problem-solving methodologies (8D, fishbone, 5-Why).
• Demonstrated leadership and self-motivation; effective cross-functional collaborator who can fully represent manufacturing engineering on a distributed, multi-site product development team.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 15-25%), including to St. Etienne, France and contract manufacturing sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fiber Optic Manufacturing: Direct experience with fiber handling, fusion splicing, connectorization, or optical assembly processes.
• Fiber Connector Inspection: Familiarity with industry standard end-face pass/fail criteria.
• Laser Safety: Familiarity with Class 1M/3B laser safety practices in a manufacturing environment.
• Contract Manufacturing: Experience preparing transfer packages and supporting CM launches, particularly in Asia or Europe.
• Handheld/Portable Products: Experience with ruggedized handheld instruments - enclosure assembly, overmold, battery integration, IP sealing, and drop/environmental qualification.
• Experience with modular or configurable product platforms where a common mainframe accepts multiple module configurations.
• ERP/PLM system proficiency (SAP, Oracle, Windchill, Agile, or equivalent) for BOM, routing, and change management.
• Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Lean certification, or equivalent continuous improvement credentials.
• Use of AI tools for process analysis, documentation development, or manufacturing data analysis.

How Success Is Measured

• Manufacturing processes are defined, documented, and qualified in time to support pilot run and volume production launch.
• First-pass yield and cycle time meet or exceed targets established during NPI.
• Products launch at or below target labor and material cost, with accurate routings and work content.
• Transfer packages are complete enough that receiving factories and CMs can execute the process without repeated clarification.
• Manufacturing escapes and rework are minimal, and those that occur are driven to permanent root cause resolution.
• DFM feedback is delivered early enough in the design cycle to actually change the design.

If you have what it takes to push boundaries and seize opportunities, apply to join our team today.

VIAVI Solutions is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer - minorities/females/veterans/persons with disabilities.