Product Development Engineer

Job Purpose:

The Product Development Engineer role is a position reporting directly to the Commercial Director, with responsibility to develop, implement, and manage advanced manufacturing processes, methods, and equipment designed to ensure continuous production of advanced materials and components that exceed our customers’ expectations. The Product Development Engineer applies an understanding of customer needs and internal technology capabilities to recommend, design, develop, and implement products and/or processes aligned to customer/market needs and business strategy. The Product Development Engineer leads and contributes to programs providing solutions valued by customers and driving profitable growth. Work may include research, application development, material enhancements, process improvement, and/or cost-out initiatives.

The role is an exciting opportunity to join a global, dynamic, high-tech team, supporting the cutting-edge semiconductor and optics industries.  Morgan Advanced Materials is an industry leader in development and manufacture of high temperature, ultra-pure ceramic materials manufactured through Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) processes.

Primary products are developed using advanced machining as well as CVD processes utilizing Silicon Carbide (SiC). CVD-SiC is used in a variety of high-tech applications including semiconductor production and optical manufacturing.

Essential Functions:

• Management of product development projects:
  • Responsible for Design Plan that meets customer specifications and/or requirements. The design plan includes the following:
    • Product design specifications (drawings, item masters)
    • Process specifications (BOM, routing, methods, fixtures, equipment)
    • Inspection specifications (inspection criteria, methodology, inspection levels)
  • Responsible for material procurement used in project. Confers with vendors, suppliers and purchasing to determine product specifications and arrange for purchase of equipment, materials, components and fixturing, among others.
  • Assures purchased, transferred or manufactured components conform to specified quality standards.
  • Responsible for product assembly and processing of associated components
  • Responsible for Design Verification – Verify that the necessary tests and inspections are performed to assure parts meet Design Plan criteria. This includes first article inspections, applicable certificates of compliance/analysis/chemistry/physical properties, FMEA, control plan, initial product costing standards among others.
  • Responsible for product transfer to production which may include NPI check sheet, operator training, among others.
  • Confers with management, process engineering, quality engineering and other staff regarding manufacturing capabilities, production schedules and other considerations to facilitate production processes. Estimates production times, staffing requirements and related costs to provide information for management decisions.
• Manage new product development projects using accepted project management tools:
  • Establish project charter which clearly defines scope, goals, deliverables, required resources and timing.
  • Provide a project schedule to identify what tasks need to be performed and when.
  • Ensure project is completed on time.
  • Ensure product costs will meet expected production yield and margin goals as outlined in project goals.
  • Clearly communicate project risks as they arise.
  • Identify resources required to complete project
  • Track and report on project milestones and provide status to Engineering Manager and other senior management as required.
  • Clearly communicate expectations to team members and stakeholders
  • Lead, coach and motivate team members on a proactive basis.
• Collaborate with areas such as Engineering, Operations and Quality to resolve technical challenges, supporting sustained solutions. This may include inputs on machine installations, initiating vendor programs and participating on new capital project teams.
• Collaborate with others to generate new, workable ideas to contribute to filling the pipeline.
• Resolve any issues with product design specification, process design specifications or inspection specifications throughout lifecycle of product.
• Participate in customer visits to discuss new products or evaluate product problems as required.
• Evaluate propose changes in equipment, processes, materials or services that result in cost reduction or improvement in operations.
• Approve customer purchase orders to ensure product will meet customer requirements as part of contract review process as required.
• Technical resource for process engineering, quality engineering and production on applicable products.
• Participates in MRB activities as required.
• Conduct all tasks in a safe and efficient manner complying with all local, state, and federal EHS regulations and with Morgan Hudson, NH EHS Guidelines. Guidelines include but not limited to participation in required EHS training and use of proper PPE. Employees are responsible for reporting hazardous conditions and job-related injuries or illnesses to their supervisor.

Minimum Qualifications and Education Requirements

• B.S. degree, especially in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science (or similar), is desired and often required.
• 1-3 years related experience is required.
• Experience in material and component manufacturing is desired.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office tools is required and CAD software such as SolidWorks is desired.
• This position requires access to technology, materials, software or hardware that is controlled by export laws of the US. Hired employees are required to provide proof that they are a U.S. Person as defined by 22 CFR §120.15.
• This position requires use of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, drawings, specifications, technical procedures, or government regulations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Must adhere to all Company policies.
• General Algebraic and Geometric skills required.
• Must be able to apply mathematical operations to frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis or variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factory analysis.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Must be capable of sitting and using a computer for the majority of an 8-hour workday.
• Must be able to lift 35 pounds.
• Must be capable of traveling within the US and Internationally. Required to talk or hear.
• Required to pass eye tests.
• Required to stand, walk, and sit.
• Required to use finger, handle, feel & reach with hands & arms.
• Vision abilities include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Morgan Advanced Materials is an EEO/AA/M/W/D/V Employer.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, fumes, or airborne particles, and toxic caustic chemicals.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description does not state or imply that all duties to be performed are specifically identified above. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested or instructed by an authorized person of the Company. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship.