Staff Optical Coating Process Engineer
Coherent · Santa Rosa, CA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Process
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior process role at Coherent (industrial) in Santa Rosa, CA. A ccountability – Own the Process and the Outcome.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Automation, Painting / coating, EHS / safety
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Process Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $116k–$171k.
Median of the low and high ends of 70 live postings that list pay, out of 119 process engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 118 other live process postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $115k–$171k, from 68 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 46%
- SPC 28%
- DOE 24%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 24%
- New product launch 23%
- Team leadership 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for EHS / safety, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at Coherent
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Coherent in Santa Rosa
2 other open roles at this site.
- Manufacturing Technician (Day and Weekend Shifts) · Manufacturing · Technician
- Manufacturing Supervisor · Manufacturing · Supervisor
Full description from CoherentAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Have in-depth knowledge of reactive magnetron sputtering processes and their relationship to thin-film growth processes sufficient to understand their effects on optical, structural and mechanical properties of multilayer thin films.
- ◆Have sufficient analytical knowledge of automated thin film vacuum sputter deposition chamber operation to support Process change decisions regarding; Programmable Logic Controllers, Agility HMI automation, process control interfaces, process control setup, laser monitoring, Manufacturing execution system and database interface.
- ◆Have in depth knowledge and experience with vacuum equipment including, pumps, valves, feedthroughs, Mass flow valves, pressure gauges, magnetron cathodes, heaters and heat control systems.
- ◆Understand Optical thin-film design theory and how to use Optical thin-film design codes for characterizing manufacturing errors. Working knowledge of basic design building blocks, effective indices and the various applications of symmetric design components.
- ◆Analytical knowledge of automated Optical monitoring systems used for accurate layer thickness control of coatings with as many as 400 layers and synchronous control of deposition process.
- ◆Ability to interpret and analyze data from radiometric fiber optic measurement system utilizing grin lenses and tunable laser sources.
- ◆Working together with engineers in a team environment where project actions are interdependent upon multiple team members where shared ideas may be accepted or challenged in an effort to achieve the best outcome for all.
- ◆Responsible for daily decisions on process, product and equipment problems and their impact on production costs and on-time delivery commitments.
- ◆Develop new tools and processes for manufacturing new products and integrate them into the manufacturing systems.
- ◆Interact closely with the Manufacturing team to monitor and clarify procedures.
- ◆Support Planning and Manufacturing to optimize product flow, throughput and on-time delivery goals.
- ◆Perform continuous process improvement and development of tools to assist engineering and manufacturing in evaluation of processes, diagnosis of equipment failures, product and business. Support decisions using measurable statistics.
- ◆Maintain and optimize predictive tools to maximize run yields and minimize downtime.
- ◆Perform product
qualifications
for new products or for specified process changes
- ✓Write or modify work instructions for tasks associated with coating processes, measurement instrumentation and software tool utilized by technicians.
- ✓Participate in major development efforts driven by Management and work together with Senior engineers to identify how to best support the effort
Communicate well with outside vendors and customers, fostering good working relationships.
Education & Experience
- ✓BS degree or higher in Engineering, Physics or related field
- ✓5 years of professional optical coating process engineering in manufacturing.
Requirements
- ✓Able to lift and move up to 25lbs without assistances
Safety
Requirements
All employees are required to follow the site EHS procedures and Coherent Corp. Corporate EHS standards.
Quality and Environmental
Responsibilities
Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and
responsibilities
within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System.
Culture Commitment
Ensure adherence to company’s values (ICARE) in all aspects of your position at Coherent Corp.:
I ntegrity – Create an Environment of Trust
C ollaboration – Innovate Through the Sharing of Ideas
A ccountability – Own the Process and the Outcome
R espect – Recognize the Value in Everyone
E nthusiasm – Find a Sense of Purpose in Work
Coherent is a global leader in lasers, engineered materials and networking components. We are a vertically integrated manufacturing company that develops innovative products for diversified applications in the industrial, optical communications, military, life sciences, semiconductor equipment, and consumer markets. Coherent provides a comprehensive career development platform within an environment that challenges employees to perform at their best, while r
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Skills
- •In depth knowledge of reactive magnetron sputter deposition processes, thin film growth processes and their interrelationships
- •In depth knowledge of thin film design theory, thin film design code development and product application.
- •General knowledge of statistical software packages, interpretation of statistics and an ability to clearly communicate statistical results to others.
- •Experience Decreasing/Eliminating process variations using problem solving methodologies to; understand root causes, confirm hypotheses, implement resolutions, and optimize improvement
- •General knowledge optical thin film metrology for telecommunication filters
- •Familiarity with Matlab/Visual Basic/Labview/Python codes for equipment control and data analysis and proficient in one of these languages.
- •Have proficient general computer skills. Some examples are; experience with commercial thin film software, and other programs, Word, Excel, power point etc.
- •Experience TFCALC preferred.
Working Conditions
- •Shift and 'on-call' work may be required, particularly where manufacturing/production equipment is in continual 24-hour operation.
Physical
