Manufacturing Engineer II

About the role

The Manufacturing Engineer II position at Applied Physics Technologies (APT) involves providing engineering support for complex manufacturing processes, troubleshooting equipment and process issues, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support for complex manufacturing processes, equipment, materials, testing, and product assembly operations.
• Troubleshoot process, equipment, tooling, and product-performance issues using root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Respond to production disruptions, implement containment actions, and drive resolution while maintaining safety, quality, and compliance standards.
• Establish process controls, operating procedures, testing requirements, and reaction plans to ensure consistent production performance.
• Train and support production personnel on manufacturing processes, troubleshooting techniques, and process improvements.
• Identify and implement opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, capacity, yield, and cost.
• Lead process improvement initiatives using engineering principles, data analysis, Lean manufacturing, and continuous improvement tools.
• Monitor and analyze manufacturing metrics, identify sources of variation and waste, and implement sustainable solutions to improve process capability and performance.
• Conduct workflow analyses, capacity studies, and line-balancing activities to optimize manufacturing operations.
• Develop, maintain, and update manufacturing documentation, including procedures, work instructions, specifications, process controls, test methods, and training materials.
• Led or support engineering change processes, corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), nonconformance investigations, risk assessments, and process validations.
• Execute equipment and process qualification activities, ensuring all changes are properly documented, validated, approved, and implemented.
• Support internal and external audits and maintain accurate, traceable engineering records.
• Design, develop, improve, and maintain manufacturing equipment, tooling, fixtures, test systems, and process controls.
• Troubleshoot and resolve electrical, mechanical, vacuum, thermal, instrumentation, and automation-related equipment issues.
• Support equipment procurement, installation, qualification, maintenance, reliability improvement, and automation initiatives.
• Ensure equipment and tooling meet safety, quality, ergonomic, and production requirements.
• Support new product introduction and process transfer.
• Collaborate with R&D to establish production processes, specifications, test methods, acceptance criteria, and process controls.
• Develop manufacturing documentation, tooling, training, and validation requirements to ensure successful product launches and process transfers.
• Partner with Production, Quality, R&D, Sales, leadership, suppliers, and customers to resolve technical issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Support supplier quality improvement, specification development, material investigations, and corrective actions.
• Foster strong working relationships with production teams and leverage operator expertise to improve manufacturing performance and reliability.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Process, Industrial, Systems, Applied Physics, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in manufacturing, process engineering, equipment engineering, product engineering, or a similar technical role.
• Experience supporting technically complex manufacturing processes in a production environment.

Skills

• Working knowledge of vacuum science and vacuum-system operation, including pumps, gauges, seals, leak detection, contamination control, and vacuum troubleshooting.
• Strong electrical knowledge, including the ability to read electrical schematics, use standard electrical test equipment, and troubleshoot electrical and electromechanical systems.
• Experience working with high-voltage equipment and a strong understanding of associated hazards and safe work practices.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex manufacturing problems systematically and determine root cause.
• Experience of responding to urgent production problems or line-down conditions.
• Experience creating and maintaining SOPs, work instructions, manufacturing specifications, and other controlled technical documentation.
• Experience with engineering changes, nonconformance investigations, corrective actions, process validation, and formal qualification documentation.
• Able to analyze manufacturing data and apply basic statistical and industrial-engineering methods.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and willingness to work directly with production equipment, fixtures, tooling, and manufactured components.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to technical accuracy.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to manage multiple priorities while maintaining appropriate urgency and follow through.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, professional conduct, and ethical decision making.