Manufacturing Engineer

Company Summary Free Form Fibers is committed to using its laser-driven chemical vapor deposition technology to bring new and unique fiber materials and related products to the advanced materials industry. Free Form Fibers was founded as a result of the development of a unique process based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to create inorganic High-Performance Fibers (HPFs) and high purity powders for use in a variety of challenging applications. These applications appear in military and aerospace (turbo machinery, rockets, advanced structures), automobile, biomedical, energy and other industries that require advanced materials with exceptional strength, stiffness, heat resistance and/or chemical resistance. FFF provides these high-value raw materials to OEMs and composites fabricators. As Free Form Fibers enters the commercialization phase, adding team members to expand the scope of operations and meet the multi-year business strategy is critical. Position Summary Reporting to the Manager of Production, the Manufacturing Engineer will perform a hands on multifaceted (Electrical, Mechanical, Controls) engineering role, in support of the production lifecycle, across in-house designed, specialty production scale equipment (hands‑on assembly, set‑up, validation, operation, changeover, maintenance/repair). The Manufacturing Engineer will perhaps most critically be responsible to maximize production up‑time, effective production flow, and be the first response to "stop the line" and both planned and reactive maintenance. Success in this role requires a desire to work in the high technology space with a small team of experts in the field of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). How You’ll Make an Impact Apply your history of mechanical/electrical/controls Manufacturing Engineering successes, combined with mentorship from the Free Form Fibers team, to quickly build competence in the Free Form Fiber’s laser chemical vapor deposition process equipment Represent the Manufacturing Engineering function on cross‑functional program teams aimed at bringing new products and associated production equipment to bear Execute the Manufacturing Engineering lifecycle (validation - production - planned & reactive maintenance - continuous improvement) of in-house designed, specialized, laser driven chemical vapor deposition production equipment used in the creation of inorganic High-Performance Fibers (HPFs) and high purity powders Become the first response to "stop the line" scenarios Become the production floor champion of both hasty 1‑man and team structured problem solving Become the production floor champion of assembly, integration, testing and disassembly of both pressurized gas and vacuum process equipment Become the production floor champion of installation, troubleshooting and/or replacement of vacuum pumps, valves, mass flow controllers, heaters, gas cylinders and pressure regulators Become the production floor champion in the maintenance problem solving and continued operation and/or replacement of low voltage hardware (sensors, flow controls, data acquisition hardware) Become the production floor champion in installation, troubleshooting and/or replacement of motion control systems (sensors, motors, motor controllers and associated wiring) Coordinate the installation, validation and launch of all new, and revised, production equipment to meet emerging needs and eliminate the root cause of identified failures What You Must Bring to This Role Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering - required Master of Science Degree in Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, Controls or other related field - desired Demonstrated strength in Production, Manufacturing or Advanced Manufacturing roles - required A history of learning and quickly turning those learnings into demonstrated success - required Demonstrated ability to succeed with small teams - required Demonstrated strength in responding to emerging problem‑solving needs - required Demonstrated strength in the standard work/SOP document lifecycle - required Demonstrated strength reading/utilizing schematic, and other, design documentation - required Demonstrated strength in use of design software and closing the loop from design concept to physical manufacturing process implementation - desired History of effective technical communications (written & verbal) - required History of increasing responsibility with production controls and diagnostics equipment - desired History of success working with laser optics design/equipment - desired History of success working with process control hardware (e.g. programmable logic controller - PLC) - desired History of success installing, utilizing & trouble shooting data acquisition systems - desired History of operating safely in a production environment including laser & hazardous gas handling - desired Compensation & Benefits Competitive salaries to attract the best in high technology expertise Company sponsored benefits programs including health insurance (fulltime team members) Generous paid time off & paid holidays (fulltime team members) On the CDTA bus line, located in W.J. Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs, off Route 50 and near SPAC; ideal for Saratoga County residents looking to avoid commuter traffic south Working Conditions & Physical Efforts May require US government security clearance (may be obtained with the support of company operations) Work may be performed on multiple/different shifts based on machine down time Work is performed in a combination of office, laboratory, machine shop, and production floor environments Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time while working at a computer or participating in meetings Ability to stand and walk for extended periods while on the production floor, in laboratories, or in machine shop environments May be required to lift, carry, or move materials or equipment up to approximately 50 pounds on an occasional basis Visual functions required include near vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus when reviewing technical documents, operating computer systems, or observing production processes Finger dexterity is required to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, operate laboratory equipment, or utilize technical instruments Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with team members, leadership, suppliers, and customers Occasional travel may be required to visit suppliers, customers, or partner facilities Work may involve exposure to typical manufacturing or laboratory conditions, including noise, equipment operation, and safety-controlled environments Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) may be required when working in laboratory, machine shop, or production areas #J-18808-Ljbffr Free Form Fibers