Manufacturing Engineering Tech (Assembly)

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 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

Demonstrated strength in the standard work/SOP document lifecycle - required

Demonstrated strength in use of design software and closing the loop from design concept to physical manufacturing process implementation - desired

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

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.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

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