Senior Principal Laser Quality Engineer

MKS Instruments • Milpitas, CA

1d

About The Position

As a Senior Quality Engineer at Newport, you will partner with design, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to lead qualification planning, validation strategy, and production readiness activities that support new product introduction. You will apply design for excellence principles and design of experiments to improve manufacturing processes, ensure robust PFMEA and control plans before production, drive root cause analysis and corrective and preventive action, and work with suppliers to resolve quality issues and improve incoming material quality. In this role, you will report to the Director, Quality and Reliability Engineering, Lasers.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree in Optics, Physics, or Electrical Engineering or Similar. a M.S. or PhD is highly preferred
• 10+ years of progressive quality engineering experience or similar.
• 7+ years in laser, photonics, optoelectronics, or precision electro-mechanical manufacturing or similar.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills (8D, Fault Tree, Kepner-Tregoe, 5-Why).
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, FAI, FMEA, DMAIC, Gage R&R, DFx, DOE, and/or Six Sigma.
• Experience in ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems.

Nice To Haves

• Proven experience supporting NPI transfer into high-volume manufacturing.
• Reliability engineering experience.
• Proficiency in Minitab, MATLAB, Python, C++, and Microsoft Copilot AI.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead qualification planning, validation strategies, and production readiness metrics to support New Product Introduction (NPI).
• Ensure robust PFMEA and Control Plans are implemented prior to production ramp.
• Partner with design, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to meet laser product specifications and optical coating requirements.
• Apply Design for Excellence (DFx) principles and Design of Experiments (DoE) to optimize manufacturing processes.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA) for quality issues.
• Conduct process audits, monitor production failure metrics, and ensure compliance with ISO standards.
• Collaborate with suppliers to resolve quality issues and improve incoming material quality.
• Acts as a technical quality representative to strategic customers and works closely with internal and external suppliers to ensure laser components meet performance, reliability, and cost requirements
• Ability to take and follow directions and instructions.
• Ability to interact with other employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, or the public, in a safe, professional, and respectful manner.
• Access to sensitive and confidential business systems and software, personally identifying information, the company’s financial information, and/or the ability to maintain physical security and safety.

Benefits

• MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior