VAD/OVD R&D Engineer

Location: Douvrin, France; onsite at the Douvrin plant. Occasional international travel may be required.

Company

Optical fiber R&D organization focused on developing and industrializing next-generation manufacturing processes.

What you will do

• Develop, optimize, qualify, and industrialize Vapor Axial Deposition (VAD), OVD, sintering, and associated optical fiber manufacturing processes.
• Design and analyze experimental programs to improve process capability, product quality, yield, manufacturing efficiency, and cost competitiveness.
• Establish process specifications, operating windows, and qualification criteria using experimental results and statistical analysis.
• Investigate process deviations, perform root-cause analysis, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Support technology transfer, equipment upgrades, tooling and metrology improvements, and deployment of new products and processes into manufacturing.
• Collaborate with Product R&D, Quality, Process Control, Manufacturing, international R&D teams, and production sites.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Engineering or Science, such as Materials Science, Physics, Optics, Photonics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or Process Engineering.
• Experience in industrial R&D, process development, manufacturing engineering, or technology development.
• Strong experimental, data analysis, statistical methods, and problem-solving capabilities, including experience with Design of Experiments, process characterization, and industrial qualification.
• Knowledge of optical fiber manufacturing, particularly VAD, sintering, or OVD, is advantageous.
• Programming, data analytics, and database skills such as Python, SQL, or statistical software are appreciated.
• Fluent English is mandatory; French is a plus. Strong communication and collaboration skills are required.

Nice to have

• PhD in a relevant engineering or scientific field.
• Knowledge of optical fiber manufacturing processes, especially VAD, sintering, or OVD.
• French language skills.

Culture & Benefits

• International, multicultural, and multisite working environment.
• Growth opportunities supporting individual responsibility, employee development, and feedback.
• Internal academy and international development programs.
• Inclusive environment focused on diversity, equity, and gender equality.
• Strong emphasis on health, safety, environmental protection, quality, and continuous improvement.