Staff Engineer and Project Lead, Forming Equipment

Role Purpose

Materials Forming Technology is a capability group within the Technology Community (TC).  We innovate new forming processes and advance current forming platforms through our expertise, our capabilities, and our partnerships with the TC and business units.  We operate across innovation phases; building first-principle understanding of our processes and translating these fundamentals to engineered solutions.  Within MFT, the Forming Equipment Technology (FET) department is focused on early-stage technology equipment innovation aligned with Corning businesses and research.

The key responsibilities for this role focus on hands-on mechanical design and equipment engineering for forming equipment, tooling, and prototype systems used in glass forming applications, along with leadership of technical workstreams and small-to-medium projects. Deliverables require individual ownership and cross-functional collaboration across research, development, engineering, and manufacturing organizations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop mechanical designs for forming equipment, tooling, fixtures, and prototype systems using SolidWorks or equivalent CAD tools
• Generate detailed part drawings, assembly drawings, bills of material, and supporting documentation required for fabrication, procurement, and build execution
• Apply engineering analysis, modeling, and data-driven decision making to evaluate design options, resolve technical issues, and improve equipment performance
• Support equipment installation, startup, debug, and validation activities in lab, pilot, and manufacturing environments
• Work on collaborative teams including process, mechanical design, controls, fabrication, and operations resources to deliver integrated equipment solutions
• Partner with fabrication vendors and internal build resources to address manufacturability, assembly, fit-up, and design-for-maintenance considerations
• Document design work through design reviews, drawing packages, test plans, validation summaries, technical reports, and invention disclosures as appropriate
• Lead technical workstreams and small-to-medium projects, managing priorities, schedules, risks, actions, and stakeholder communication

Travel Requirements:

Travel locally, domestically and internationally will be required depending on the project location, up to 25%.

 Hours of work/work schedule/flex-time:

M-F, 8-5 normal business hours; flex-time possible. 

Experiences/Education - Required

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Engineering (Mechanical Engineering preferred)
• Strong mechanical design capability using SolidWorks or equivalent 3D CAD software
• Ability to create detailed part drawings, assembly drawings, and design documentation suitable for fabrication, procurement, and installation
• Demonstrated technical leadership with the curiosity to understand equipment performance, identify root causes, and develop practical design solutions
• Ability to learn and apply mechanical design fundamentals to new technology areas
• Experience resolving complex mechanical or equipment problems using engineering fundamentals, structured problem solving, modeling, and data analysis
• Ability to support equipment build, installation, startup, debug, and validation activities in collaboration with fabrication, controls, process, and operations teams
• Ability to collaborate across organizational boundaries with effective communication skills throughout all levels of the organization
• Demonstrated experience leading technical workstreams or small-to-medium projects while remaining hands-on technically

Experiences/Education - Desired

• Prior glass forming, fiber, or precision equipment experience.
• Experience designing equipment, tooling, fixtures, or prototype systems for lab, pilot, or manufacturing environments
• Familiarity with design for manufacturability, design for assembly, tolerance stack-ups, GD&T, and fabrication methods
• Experience supporting equipment installation, checkout, commissioning, debug, or validation activities
• Experience using modeling software, e.g. SolidWorks Simulation, COMSOL, ANSYS
• Independent, data-driven problem solver with the ability to translate technical needs into practical equipment designs

Soft Skills (Communication/Team/Leadership):

• Find clarity in direction / drive to get results
• Willingness to learn is a must
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience networking in a matrixed environment.
• Strong written and oral communication skills