Process Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Process Engineer

Full Time + Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k with Company Match, PTO)

Job Type: Onsite

Salary Range: $73,000.00 - $97,000.00 DOE

Location: Valencia, CA.

Fralock is an engineered solutions provider of specialty components and subassemblies using advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications. We develop and manufacture custom integrated solutions. Established in 1967, we are a critical solutions provider to Fortune 500 corporations, government, and targeted OEMs in a variety of industries including Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing, Medical and Life Science, Aerospace and Defense, Industrial, Electronics, and Energy. Fralock is headquartered in Valencia, CA with manufacturing locations located throughout Northern and Southern California.

VISION

To be recognized by our customers as a leading solutions provider of proprietary engineered advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications.

MISSION

To create value, profitably grow, and share our success with all stakeholders.

CULTURE

• Respect – We treat others the way they want to be treated.
• Integrity – We practice a high standard of ethics in our business dealings with customers, employees, and suppliers.
• Responsiveness – We have a sense of urgency in responding to internal and external requests, and work proactively to solve problems.
• Excellence/Competence – We empower our people to continuously improve and execute high quality work.
• Teamwork – We work together to achieve Fralock business objectives by communicating at a high level, by listening and having clarity in our expectations of one another.
• Individual Accountability and Personal Responsibility – We do what we have committed to do when we committed to doing it.
• Continuous Improvement across all segments of the company

This position requires access to information controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the successful candidate must be a "U.S. person" as defined in the ITAR and EAR (which generally means (i) be a citizen or national of the  United States; or (ii) be a lawful permanent resident of the United States; or (iii) have been admitted to the United States as a refugee, or have been granted asylum, as specified under applicable law.

Job Summary

The Process Engineer is responsible for developing, implementing, optimizing, and sustaining manufacturing processes used in the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs). This role provides technical leadership for wet process manufacturing operations, including photo imaging, photo development, chemical etching, plating, cleaning, and related processes. The Process Engineer works closely with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Product Engineering teams to improve yield, reliability, throughput, and cost while ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Under minimal supervision, must be able to perform a variety of job duties including, but not limited to:

• Develop, implement, and maintain manufacturing processes for multilayer and single-sided PCB fabrication.
• Serve as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for wet process operations including:
  • Photoresist coating and lamination, UV exposure and imaging, photo development, chemical etching, metal plating and surface finishing, cleaning and chemical treatment processes. 
• Monitor and optimize process parameters to ensure product quality, consistency, and throughput.
• Work on work center process design and development for new products, which includes choosing the right equipment, setup, tooling, process steps and writing instructions on how to manufacture.
• Research new and existing equipment/ machines to check for the functionality and feasibility of customer part manufacturing.
• Able to work in AutoCAD or other similar software to create/generate manufacturing related facility layouts or OMS's.
• Ability to provide ROI analysis of alternate methods, processes, or equipment, and create executive summaries.
• Analyze engineering drawings and other relevant documentation to validate time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
• Conduct process capability studies and establish process controls using statistical methods.
• Analyze defects, scrap, yield losses, and customer returns to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Develop work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), control plans, and process documentation.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, efficiency, cycle time reduction, and cost savings.
• Support new product introductions (NPI) by developing manufacturing processes and validating process capability.
• Perform Design of Experiments (DOE) and process validation activities.
• Partner with Quality Engineering to investigate nonconformances and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Collaborate with Maintenance to troubleshoot equipment issues and improve equipment reliability and uptime.
• Evaluate and recommend capital equipment, tooling, automation, and process improvements.
• Monitor chemical processes, bath chemistry, equipment performance, and environmental compliance requirements.
• Train production personnel on manufacturing processes, best practices, and process changes.
• Support internal, customer, and regulatory audits as required.
• Other duties as needed or assigned.

Required Skills

• Must have excellent written and verbal skills. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business information. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. 
• Ability to manage and solve problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized and complex situations.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and manufacturing documents. 
• Strong knowledge of quality processes within a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency in ERP systems and Microsoft Suite for tracking, reporting, and data management. 
• Must have knowledge to apply complex use of databases/spreadsheets.  
• Ability to complete the planning of workflow and meetings.
• Must have solid analytical skills and solution-driven thinking. Able to use large amounts of data to make strategic decisions.

• Ability to apply continuous improvement and lean principles to enhance efficiency and productivity. 

• Experience with KPI tracking, performance metrics, and data analysis to support operational improvements.
• Direct experience in printed circuit board manufacturing and PCB fabrication processes.
• Knowledge of multilayer PCB construction and fabrication processes.
• Experience with SPC, DOE, FMEA, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Familiarity with IPC standards, including IPC-6012 and IPC-A-600.
• Experience with automated optical inspection (AOI), process monitoring systems, and manufacturing data analysis tools. 
• Understanding of environmental regulations and chemical handling requirements within manufacturing operations.

Preferred Skills

• Six Sigma Green belt or Black Belt Certified. 
• ASQ Certified Quality Engineer.
• Experience in aerospace, semiconductor, medical and automotive industry.
• Prior experience in photo development operations, chemical etching processes, and copper plating and metal finishing. 
• Proficient manufacturing engineering or process engineering experience in PCB fabrication, electronics manufacturing, semiconductor, chemical processing, or related industries. 
• Experience with wet process manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of photolithography, photoresist technologies, chemical etching, plating, and cleaning processes. 

Education Requirements

• Bachelors (B.S.) degree in manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or related field and three (3) to five (5) years of related experience. 
  • Minimum of three (3) years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
  • Experience managing ERP systems (e.g., Made-2-Manage). 
  • Experience with ISO 900, AS9100, and/or ISO 13485 Standards.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent use of hands for handling equipment and tools. 
• Ability to perform similar operations and tasks for 6-8 hours. 
• Ability to sit and stand for 6 to 8 hours.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs. frequently 
• Ability to lift, push and pull up to 50 lbs. occasionally.
• Ability to bend and reach for 6 to 8 hours. 

Working Conditions

• Work performed indoors in a temperature controlled environment frequently.
• Required use of PPE including safety glasses, gloves, and safety‑toed footwear.

• While performing the duties of this job, will regularly be exposed to moving high-speed machinery and mechanical parts. Will occasionally be exposed to machine oils and hazardous materials. 
• Travel 10% as required. 

All offers of employment at Fralock are contingent upon clear results of a background check. Background checks may include some or all the following depending on job title and responsibilities:

• Social Security Verification
• Prior Employment Verification
• Criminal History
• Personal and Professional References
• Motor Vehicle Records
• Credit History

Fralock provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. #ZR