Development Engineer

Overview

Corning's Optical Fiber division is seeking a Development Engineer to design, develop, and industrialize next-generation optical fiber manufacturing platforms. This role sits at the intersection of applied science and manufacturing engineering — driving step-change reductions in cost, improving product quality, and enabling new product capabilities through rigorous process experimentation and first-principles problem-solving.

Primary Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and industrialize optical fiber manufacturing processes — including process systems, equipment, and coating applications — to improve yield, quality, rate, and cost
• Apply the scientific method and engineering first principles to diagnose root-cause limitations in manufacturing processes; design and execute well-controlled experiments to validate solutions
• Translate experimental findings into engineering requirements and process/equipment designs that meet defined performance criteria
• Support early-stage innovation testing on development and manufacturing assets; advance learnings through deeper understanding and demonstration phases toward robust implementation
• Collaborate with cross-functional technology development teams to drive improvements in manufacturing yield, process rate, machine utilization, product quality, raw material efficiency, and energy usage

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Chemical, Materials, Ceramics, or Mechanical Engineering (or closely related field)
• 2–5 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing or process development environment
• Process engineering background with emphasis on chemical transport and reaction processes, and their impact on product and equipment performance
• Working knowledge of physical phenomena — including heat and mass transfer and static/dynamic physics — applied to manufacturing process improvement
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing well-controlled process experiments using the scientific method and engineering first principles

Desired Qualifications

• Experience translating engineering solutions into process and/or equipment design requirements that deliver defined performance criteria
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as JMP, Python, or PowerBI; familiarity with Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Experience with modeling or simulation software (e.g., Aspen, Matlab, Fluent)
• Background in optical fiber manufacturing, polymer coatings, or advanced materials manufacturing

Skills / Competencies

• Applies engineering first principles and root-cause analysis to resolve complex, ambiguous manufacturing challenges
• Uses measured and modeled data to evaluate alternatives and drive sound technical decisions
• Presents technical findings and recommendations clearly to project teams, department leaders, and cross-site stakeholders
• Collaborates effectively across cross-functional teams spanning research, early-stage development, and manufacturing
• Manages concurrent priorities and carries assignments through to completion in a project-driven environment

Work Conditions

Travel: Less than 10%, domestic; occasional international travel possible

Schedule: Full-time, overtime-exempt; overtime may be required based on project phase and business needs. This is an onsite position.