Manufacturing Engineer - Optics (Aerospace)

Location: San Diego, California, United States; onsite optics-lab manufacturing role

Salary: $85,000–$135,000 USD annually, plus potential annual bonus and benefits.

Company

hirify.global develops defense, national security, and space technologies focused on mission-critical solutions from ground to space.

What you will do

• Develop, document, validate, and improve manufacturing processes for optical and optomechanical hardware.
• Create work instructions, travelers, routings, process specifications, tooling plans, fixtures, and production controls.
• Support prototype builds, new product introduction, pilot production, production release, capacity planning, and sustaining production.
• Develop repeatable methods for optical cleaning, handling, bonding, mounting, alignment, focus adjustment, inspection, metrology, and final integration.
• Analyze yield, optical test results, defects, rework, cycle time, process capability, and production constraints.
• Lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions while collaborating with optical, mechanical, electrical, test, quality, supply-chain, and program teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, mechanical, optical, industrial engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Knowledge of manufacturing process development, production documentation, root-cause analysis, process validation, and continuous improvement.
• Working knowledge of optical assembly, alignment, inspection, metrology, precision handling, or optomechanical integration.
• Ability to interpret engineering and optical drawings, bills of material, specifications, work instructions, test data, and acceptance requirements.
• Strong communication, hands-on problem-solving, data-analysis, and cross-functional coordination skills.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain the authorizations required under ITAR and related U.S. Government export regulations.

Nice to have

• Experience in aerospace, defense, space, medical, laser, imaging, lidar, semiconductor, or other high-reliability optical manufacturing environments.
• Experience with optical alignment, precision bonding, optical cleaning, contamination control, metrology, environmental testing, or failure analysis.
• Familiarity with optical laboratory equipment such as interferometers, autocollimators, collimators, alignment telescopes, microscopes, power meters, beam profilers, and coordinate measurement systems.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, PFMEA, control plans, statistical process control, measurement system analysis, and process validation.
• Experience with ERP/MRP, MES, PLM, CAD, data-acquisition, statistical analysis tools, MATLAB, Python, AS9100, ISO 9001, NASA workmanship standards, cleanroom, or ESD practices.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on mission-critical defense, national security, and space technology programs.
• Paid time off and comprehensive health benefits.
• Retirement savings program and wellness program.
• Competitive base salary, discretionary annual bonus plan, and additional benefits.
• Environment focused on innovation, practical problem-solving, curiosity, and measurable impact.