Process Engineer I – Engineered Technical Ceramics

Full Time + Benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k with Company Match, PTO)

Job Type: Onsite

Salary Range: $78,600 - $90,300 DOE

Location: Poway, CA

Fralock is an engineered solutions provider of specialty components and subassemblies using advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications. We develop and manufacture custom integrated solutions. Established in 1967, we are a critical solutions provider to Fortune 500 corporations, government, and targeted OEMs in a variety of industries including Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturing, Medical and Life Science, Aerospace and Defense, Industrial, Electronics, and Energy. Fralock is headquartered in Valencia, CA with manufacturing locations located throughout Northern and Southern California.

VISION

To be recognized by our customers as a leading solutions provider of proprietary engineered advanced materials for high reliability, severe environment, and technically challenging applications.

MISSION

To create value, profitably grow, and share our success with all stakeholders.

CULTURE

• Respect – We treat others the way they want to be treated.
• Integrity – We practice a high standard of ethics in our business dealings with customers, suppliers and employees.
• Responsiveness – We have a sense of urgency in responding to internal and external requests and work proactively to solve problems.
• Excellence/Competence – We empower our people to continuously improve and execute high quality work.
• Teamwork – We work together to achieve Fralock business objectives by communicating at a high level, by listening and having clarity in our expectations of one another.
• Individual Accountability and Personal Responsibility – We do what we have committed to do when we committed to doing it.
• Continuous Improvement across all segments of the company

This position requires access to information controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the successful candidate must be a "U.S. person" as defined in the ITAR and EAR (which generally means (i) be a citizen or national of the United States; or (ii) be a lawful permanent resident of the United States; or (iii) have been admitted to the United States as a refugee, or have been granted asylum, as specified under applicable law.

Job Summary

Fralock is seeking a materials engineer or process engineer with 0-2 years of experience in product development and process/manufacturing engineering to join our team in Poway, CA. The process engineer I role is responsible for technical/operational ownership of complex development programs within guidance from senior engineering and product/program management.

The Process Engineer I will collaborate and support key projects focused on evaluating process capability and stability for slip casting, paste formulation, sintering, detailed assembly and inspection equipment. This key hire will report to the Poway site engineering leadership while working and collaborating closely with Engineering, Quality, and Operations Managers to ensure the overall success of this growing segment of business at Fralock.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports new product introduction (NPI) programs on behalf of product management, production and engineering.
• Participates in design reviews and contributes technical expertise for product feasibility and ideal manufacturing methods and implementation to design engineering.
• Owns development of project planning documents, including project/program scheduling, test plans and resource planning.

• Assist with formulating and improving travelers using operator provided data, making changes in ERP software. 
• In timely manner, collaborate with quality and manufacturing resources to determine defect root causes, propose and implement corrective actions (immediate, and longer term) and document any manufacturing changes via travelers (operator, supervisors, managers). 
• Evaluate manufacturing process capability (SPC), methods and tooling, applying Lean and Six Sigma principles.
• Responsible for monitoring furnace process performance, thermal consistency, shrink variability, and dye check yields. Editing and adjusting work instructions and/or process parameters as needed.
• Responsible for material lot release process testing, evaluating, and tracking material key properties for ceramic products.
• Work with engineering, operations and vendors to develop cost estimates and proposals
• Responsible for assisting and troubleshooting existing manufacturing processes
• Lead realization of work instructions and training for key selected processes
• Support tactical projects resulting from customer RMAs or audit findings, working to understand their root cause, to improve/amend documentation and procedures

Required Skills

• Strong computer skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to analyze data and problem solve
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings
• Knowledge and application of failure mode analysis techniques as applied to both process development and process improvement
• Ability to realize and implement Design of Experiments to improve process capabilities
• Ability to use hand tools such as micrometer, calipers, and Archimedes scales. 

Preferred Skills

• Self motivated, results and action oriented, and a strong team player
• A hands on aptitude
• Process Engineering knowledge
• Experience in ceramic and/or glass component manufacturing
• Ceramic powder handling and process in knowledge

• Experience with multilayer ceramic manufacturing
• Experience with high temperature material interactions and sintering
• Demonstrated history of running self-directed projects, managing timelines and executing projects in an R&D environment.
• CAD/CAM software experience and proficiency
• Experience interpreting FEA/CFD results
• Hands-on mechanical and/or thermophysical measurement testing experience

• Familiarity with navigating ERP and QMS systems to locate data

• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Just In-Time, Kanban principles
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, AS9100 or ISO 13485

Experience Requirements

• 0-2 years in a technical engineering role 
• Experience in one or more related engineering areas: ceramics manufacturing, sintering, industrial, production, or quality

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering preferred or an Engineering related discipline.

All offers of employment at Fralock are contingent upon clear results of a background check. Background checks may include some or all the following depending on job title and responsibilities:

• Social Security Verification
• Prior Employment Verification
• Criminal History
• Personal and Professional References
• Motor Vehicle Records

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a position.

Fralock provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.