Senior Production Readiness Engineer

Location: Devens

About Us

Founded in 2015 to develop the world's first industrially scalable laser metal additive manufacturing solution, Vulcan Forms is reshaping how the world manufactures critical products. We build and operate advanced digital infrastructure that enables innovation, accelerates growth, and supports sustainability across aerospace, defense, medical, and other essential industries. Through our vertically integrated capabilities, including scalable additive manufacturing and precision machining, we deliver true end-to-end production at scale by combining cutting-edge technology with a foundation of proven industrial craftsmanship.

Our team brings deep expertise in manufacturing, materials science, software, automation, and operations, united by a shared commitment to quality, curiosity, and accountability. We foster an inclusive culture where people take ownership, solve meaningful problems, and continuously learn, because we believe diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.

Job Purpose

As a Senior Production Readiness Engineer, you will provide manufacturing-engineering and technical support for the Optical Manufacturing production team. You will define, implement, and maintain the manufacturing, quality-assurance, and quality-control processes used to build precision optical components, opto-mechanical sub-assemblies, and final laser-delivery assemblies that go into Vulcan Forms' metal AM systems.

You will own the manufacturing engineering behind these processes - developing methods of manufacturing (MOMs), bills of material (BOMs); authoring work instructions and inspection plans; managing engineering change; designing manufacturing processes, fixtures, and tooling; and providing hands-on floor support across production and the machine shop. The ideal candidate is well-versed in precision and optical manufacturing operations and in the health-and-safety practices required to run a safe, high-precision production environment.

This is a hands-on, high-impact role: you will help mature precision optical assemblies from early and prototype builds into repeatable medium-volume production - putting your thumbprint on the processes, fixtures, and documentation that ship in Vulcan Forms systems.

Key Responsibilities

* Drive product quality and yield: identify manufacturing issues, develop cost-effective solutions including scrap and rework reduction, and oversee successful production ramp.

* Apply SPC and data-driven root-cause and corrective-action methods (8D, fishbone, PFMEA, fault tree) to monitor process capability and resolve problems across methods, processes, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and product design.

* Partner with production technicians and team leads to resolve day-to-day manufacturing and quality issues on the floor.

* Specify, justify, qualify, and integrate advanced technology and capital equipment to improve productivity, process capability, and capacity for future programs.

* Apply Lean manufacturing principles and lead or participate in kaizen and continuous-improvement events to improve capability, reduce cost, and increase throughput.

* Create and maintain methods of manufacturing (MOMs) and bills of material (BOMs), and manage change control, in the ERP/MES (Epicor Kinetic).

* Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation within the controlled quality system - work instructions, process specifications, inspection plans, and first-article inspection (FAI) and support Device History Record (DHR) completeness.

* Design and improve manufacturing processes (manufacturing process design through production), and design and build fixtures and tooling for cleanroom manufacturing environments, supporting both production and the machine shop.

* Translate design requirements into process and equipment specifications and collaborate with optical and design engineering to integrate build and test results into improved designs.

* Support resolution of nonconformances and corrective/preventive actions (NCR/CAPA), including internal-customer issues, line-down events, and repairs.

* Assist subcontractors and suppliers in resolving manufacturing- and quality-related issues.

* Champion safety: proactively identify hazards (including laser and chemical hazards), drive corrective measures, and ensure adherence to EHS policies and procedures.

Qualifications

* B.S. in Engineering or a related technical field (Mechanical, Optical, Manufacturing, or similar), with 3+ years of optical, opto-mechanical, or other advanced/precision manufacturing experience.

* Strong knowledge of precision manufacturing processes and operations.

* Demonstrated ability to develop and qualify production processes using process FMEA, fault tree analysis, design of experiments (DOE), and process-planning tools.

* Experience developing and integrating new technologies and equipment into production.

* Experience designing production fixtures and tooling for manufacturing environments - cleanroom experience a plus.

* Working knowledge of Lean…