Engineering Technician 2

Duties & Responsibilities

We are looking for a hands-on, resourceful engineering technician to serve as the on-shift process and technical point of contact for our night-shift coating production team at Viavi Solutions in Santa Rosa, CA. You are the first responder — diagnosing the issue with Manufacturing Technicians, deciding whether to recover, hold, or scrap, and coordinating the response across operators, on-call engineering, and oncoming day shift.

• Triage and drive technical, process, or equipment issues to resolution before handoff.
• Troubleshoot both the process and the equipment — thin-film vacuum deposition systems and supporting subsystems.
• Escalate effectively — know what to attempt on-shift, when to pull in on-call equipment, process, or product engineering, and how to brief them with the data they need to act quickly.
• Coordinate the night-shift response across operators, EHS, facilities, and the oncoming day shift; run a clean handoff that captures what happened, what was tried, and what's still open.
• Support root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) for coating defects, equipment failures, and process excursions — both on-shift containment and post-event investigation.
• Train and direct coating operators during the shift on process troubleshooting techniques, recovery procedures, metrology, and quality standards.
• Execute engineering experiments, qualification runs, and tooling trials on behalf of process, product, and equipment engineers during off-shift hours.
• Collaborate with process and product engineering on special projects: new product, process, and material introductions; continuous improvement; FMEA; PCN creation and implementation.
• Operate and maintain deposition equipment and perform routine preventive maintenance when production load allows; load and unload chambers, prepare substrates and fixturing, and follow cleanroom protocols.
• Measure and characterize deposited coatings using spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, profilometers, and thickness gauges.
• Maintain SPC charts, run logs, batch records, and traceability documentation in compliance with AS9100 and internal quality system requirements.

Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree or technical certificate in optics, photonics, materials science, vacuum technology, or electro-mechanical technology strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in optical coatings, thin-film deposition, vacuum processing, cleanroom manufacturing, or a closely related precision manufacturing environment — with demonstrated experience troubleshooting equipment or process issues, not just running to recipe.
• Working knowledge of vacuum systems, including pumps, gauges, gas delivery, and basic chamber maintenance.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose problems on complex electro-mechanical equipment: reading control signals, isolating a fault to a subsystem (vacuum, gas, power, controls, optical), and determining the next steps.
• Strong communication skills across roles and shifts — comfortable directing operators on the floor, briefing on-call engineering by phone, and running a structured handoff to the oncoming shift.
• Proficiency with optical metrology and QA testing equipment such as spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, profilometers, and thickness gauges; able to read and interpret coating spectra against design targets.
• Optics handling, cleaning, and inspection experience.
• Able to read and follow written work instructions, blueprints, and engineering drawings — and to write up an issue clearly enough that day shift can pick it up cold.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision during off-hours, prioritize across multiple parallel issues, and keep production moving against deadlines.
• Strong data analysis skills — intermediate-to-advanced Excel, Word, and SPC/ statistical analysis tools.
• Must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR.

Preferred Skills/Qualifications

• Direct experience with e-beam evaporation, ion-assisted deposition (IAD), and/or magnetron sputtering systems.
• Experience operating coating equipment to defined recipes and interpreting in-process signals (optical and/or crystal monitoring).
• Electro-mechanical troubleshooting depth — reading schematics, using a multimeter, interpreting PLC/HMI alarms, and working with equipment manuals to isolate faults.
• Prior experience as a lead technician, shift lead, or first responder in a 24/7 or off-shift production environment.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 and IATF16949.
• Experience with statistical data analysis techniques and statistical process control (SPC).
• Prior experience training or mentoring operators in a production setting.
• Aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or precision-optics manufacturing background.

Physical Requirements And Work Environment

• Work is performed in a cleanroom and adjacent production areas; gowning is required for much of the shift.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods (8–12 hours), with intermittent sitting at metrology stations.
• Frequent lifting, carrying, and positioning of fixtures, substrates, and chamber hardware up to 35 lbs; occasional team lift up to 50 lbs.
• Manual dexterity to handle small, fragile optical components without damage or contamination.
• Close-vision acuity for inspection of optical surfaces and reading metrology displays; color vision sufficient to interpret coated samples.
• Must pass a pre-placement physical and respirator certification; able to wear a respirator during tasks that require it.
• Exposure to ordinary manufacturing hazards: high vacuum equipment, RF and DC power supplies, hot surfaces, compressed gases, and cleaning solvents. All hazards are controlled per established EHS procedures.

Shift Schedule

This is a night-shift position. Schedule is subject to operational needs; occasional flexibility for training, coverage, or shift handoffs may be required.

Job Posting Pay Range

21 to 39

Exceptional qualifications, experience and location may impact salary.

VIAVI offers a competitive benefits package that includes paid time off, health, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and a bonus program.