Job Details





Mechanical Engineer III

Job ID#:

3924

Posted:

6/3/2026

Location:

Wilmington, NC

Job Category:

Manufacturing

Position Type:

Contractor (W-2)


Job Description

Mechanical Engineer
Scope of Position (i.e. projects involved with and role within group):
* Mechanical Engineer responsible for leading or working within multi-discipline teams to Prototype and Pilot Equipment Design for optical fiber manufacturing processes and products.
* Design, develop, improve and industrialize Optical Fiber manufacturing platforms (platform = process + equipment) for existing or revolutionary manufacturing processes, thereby enabling new products with advantaged attributes and/or step-change reductions in manufacturing cost.
* Translate understanding and experimental solutions to engineering requirements, then further to process and/or equipment designs which deliver performance criteria.
* Work is typically completed as a member of a technology development team chartered with improving one or more of the following: manufacturing yields (selections), process rate, machine utilization, product quality, new product quality, environmental compliance, raw material yield, and/or energy usage.
Major Responsibilities:
* Use established processes to identify concepts for manufacturing equipment, design, build and test selected concepts as an individual and in teams, and utilize risk management tools to ensure on-time delivery.
* Designing and executing equipment validation test in a manufacturing plant; analyzing data, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations
* Collaborating with other equipment/machine design experts within and outside of OFC development organization
* Securing funding via appropriation requests and expense budgeting processes to support equipment design and development
* Communicating and documenting results and equipment designs
Travel Requirements (please note if international):
* ?10%. Domestic only.
Hours of work/work schedule/flex-time:
* Typical work hours are M-F 8am to 5pm. Some flexibility available upon request. 

 
Job Requirements
 

Required Skills (These are skills that candidates MUST possess)
* Working knowledge of physical phenomena (static and dynamic physics, heat and mass transfer, fluid mechanics, optics, etc.) with a strong background in machine design or machine systems integration
* The ability to work with other engineering disciplines (Electrical/Controls, Chemical/Materials) to create prototype and industrial process equipment design solutions
* Sound understanding of material properties and capabilities for use in machine design
* Knowledge/experience in materials processing equipment for manufacturing
* Ability to design and carry out experiments in lab and manufacturing environments
* Familiarity with 3-D CAD software (AutoDesk Inventor preferred)
Desired Skills (These are skills that would be nice for candidates to possess)
* Working knowledge experience of Machine Controls (motion control, sensor technologies, PLC programming, etc…) and safety systems.
* Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
* Knowledge of optical fiber properties, applications, and manufacturing
* Experience with data processing software (e.g. Jump, Python, PowerBI) and MS Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). Modeling simulation software optional (e.g. Aspen, Matlab, Fluent).
* Proficient in AutoDesk Inventor 3-D CAD
Education and Experience (minimum required for consideration)
* B.S. degree in mechanical engineering or similar technical field (e.g. physics); M.S. degree in similar discipline strongly encouraged
* 5-10 years work experience preferred
* Desired - knowledge / experience with optical fiber process development or manufacturing
Soft Skills (Communication/Team/Leadership)
* Strong independent work ethic
* Attention to detail with excellent organizational skill
* Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) 




 

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