Equipment Engineer

Role Purpose 

Corning is seeking an Equipment Engineer to support manufacturing equipment performance, reliability, and continuous improvement within our Solar Modular operation. This role provides hands-on engineering support for manufacturing equipment, including troubleshooting, equipment improvements, preventive maintenance strategies, and implementation of new or modified equipment. 

The Equipment Engineer will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Process Engineering, Quality, and other technical teams to identify equipment issues, improve reliability, reduce unplanned downtime, and support safe and efficient manufacturing operations. This role provides an opportunity for an early-career engineer to develop strong equipment and manufacturing expertise in a fast-paced production environment. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide day-to-day engineering support for manufacturing equipment and related systems.
• Troubleshoot equipment failures and performance issues using data, technical documentation, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Support root-cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment-related downtime, quality issues, and recurring equipment failures.
• Monitor equipment performance and reliability data to identify trends, recurring issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with Maintenance, Operations, Process Engineering, Quality, and other technical teams to improve equipment reliability, availability, and manufacturing performance.
• Develop and implement equipment improvements focused on safety, reliability, quality, capacity, cost, and reduction of unplanned downtime.
• Support preventive and predictive maintenance strategies and assist in identifying opportunities to improve maintenance effectiveness.
• Participate in the installation, start-up, qualification, and optimization of new or modified manufacturing equipment.
• Support equipment modifications, upgrades, and continuous improvement projects from development through implementation.
• Work with equipment manufacturers and suppliers to troubleshoot technical issues, identify improvement opportunities, and support equipment modifications.
• Support spare-parts and equipment-consumables strategies by identifying critical components, reviewing usage, and providing technical input on appropriate inventory needs.
• Develop and maintain equipment documentation, specifications, troubleshooting guides, drawings, and other technical information.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies such as DMAIC, 5 Why, 8D, root-cause analysis, or similar methods to equipment-related issues.
• Support manufacturing-floor 5S, equipment standardization, and continuous improvement activities.
• Share technical knowledge and lessons learned with technicians, engineers, and manufacturing team members.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure engineering activities and equipment modifications comply with established safety and manufacturing requirements. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or another related engineering or technical discipline.
• Relevant hands-on experience through employment, internships, or co-ops in equipment engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, automation, or another related technical environment.
• Demonstrated technical aptitude and ability to apply engineering principles to equipment and manufacturing problems.
• Basic understanding of mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, automation, or controls systems.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to support technical decisions.
• Ability to read and interpret technical documentation such as equipment manuals, schematics, drawings, specifications, or diagrams.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and other cross-functional partners.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work effectively in a hands-on manufacturing environment. 

Desired Qualifications 

• Internship, co-op, or other experience in a manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, or industrial environment.
• Experience in solar module, wafer, semiconductor, glass, or other technically complex manufacturing environments.
• Experience with automated manufacturing equipment, PLCs, HMIs, robotics, sensors, motion-control systems, or other industrial automation technologies.
• Familiarity with mechanical design, electrical systems, circuit design, controls, or programming.
• Experience with equipment troubleshooting, maintenance, reliability, or continuous improvement.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, DMAIC, 5 Why, 8D, or other structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Experience supporting equipment installation, qualification, start-up, or manufacturing ramp-up.
• Familiarity with preventive and predictive maintenance principles.
• Experience analyzing equipment performance, downtime, or reliability data.
• Six Sigma Green Belt certification or related continuous improvement training. 

Work Schedule 

Core work hours are generally Monday through Friday. Flexibility may be required to support equipment troubleshooting, installations, start-ups, trials, and other production needs outside normal working hours.