Process Engineering Technician - Optical Fabrication
Corning · Fairport, NY
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Process
- Base pay
- $59k–$81k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 7+ years
- Certification
- Green Belt preferred
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level process role at Corning (industrial) in Fairport, NY. In this first-shift, Monday–Friday role, you'll work at the intersection of equipment health, process improvement, and new product introduction — collaborating daily with engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain to keep production running at peak.
- They ask for
- 7+ years · degree required · Green Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Green Belt, CNC, Tooling, SolidWorks, SAP
- Base pay
- $59k–$81k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Process Engineer roles in New York: typical posted base $85k–$125k. This one lists $59k–$81k.
Median of the low and high ends of 33 live postings that list pay, out of 45 process engineer openings in New York, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
New York plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 44 other live process postings in New York.
- Base pay
- About 38% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (7+ vs 4+)
Typical $92k–$134k, from 32 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 56%
- DOE 49%
- ✓ Lean 38%
- SPC 36%
- Six Sigma 24%
- ✓ New product launch 22%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for CNC, SolidWorks, SAP, MES, 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 Corning
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?
- The posting mentions a Green Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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: Corning in Fairport
8 other open roles at this site.
- Supplier Quality Supervisor · Quality · Supervisor
- Electrical Engineering Technician · Reliability
- Optical Manufacturing Technician (Fairport, NY - 2nd, 3rd, Weekend Shifts) · Manufacturing · Technician
- Controls Technician · Controls · Technician
- Quality Engineer · Quality
- Quality Engineer Optical System · Quality
Full description from CorningAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Provide daily production support to resolve process upsets and identify improvements that reduce cost, increase capacity, and expand department capability
- ◆Manage production equipment health including preventive maintenance (PM) schedules, component inventory, and coordination of equipment upgrades and repairs
- ◆Partner with process engineering on new product introductions, manufacturing capability gap assessments, and process development activities
- ◆Author technical documentation and deliver training to operations associates on standardized processes and procedures
- ◆Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain to resolve production issues and support customer complaint responses
- ◆Perform manufacturing tasks in compliance with workplace standards, including housekeeping and autonomous maintenance of work area and equipment
Experiences/Education - Required
- ✓7+ years of experience in an engineering technician role within a manufacturing environment or an Associate's degree in an engineering or science field
- ✓Deep working knowledge of precision optics manufacturing methods, including generation, polishing, and testing
- ✓Hands-on experience with optical fabrication equipment and metrology, with proficiency in production systems including SAP, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), SharePoint, and Power BI
- ✓Experience managing PM schedules and component inventory to support production equipment uptime
- ✓Ability to author technical documentation and deliver training to operations associates
Experiences/Education - Desired
- ✓Associate's degree in an engineering or science field; Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, or Optical Engineering preferred
- ✓Hands-on experience with CNC-based generation and polishing, MRF, finishing process and equipment, and conventional or single-spindle polishing
- ✓Proficiency with 3D modeling software such as SolidWorks or Creo for tooling and fixture design
- ✓Thorough understanding of spherical and aspherical optics manufacturing methods, including facilities inputs, equipment control, and identifying impactful process improvements
- ✓Knowledge of precision optics specifications and customer conformance requirements, including cleanliness, part conformance, and lens troubleshooting
- ✓Performance Excellence training such as Green Belt, Lean, PQA
Travel
Requirements
- ✓We anticipate less than 5% travel for this role. Typical travel includes special training/networking opportunities and potential customer and vendor visits.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Requisition Number: 78321
The company built on breakthroughs.
Join us.
Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.
How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations – not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company, and the world, forward.
At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.
Come break through with us.
Corning’s businesses are ever-evolving to best serve our customers, industries, and consumers. Today, we accelerate and transform life sciences, mobile consumer electronics, optical communications, display, automotive, and solar markets. We are changing the world with:
- •Trusted products that accelerate drug discovery, development, and delivery to save lives
- •Damage-resistant cover glass to enhance the devices that keep us connected
- •Optical fiber, wireless technologies, and connectivity solutions to carry information and ideas at the speed of light
- •Precision glass for advanced displays to deliver richer experiences
- •Auto glass and ceramics to drive cleaner, safer, and smarter transportation
- •Solar polysilicon, wafers, and innovative photovoltaic modules, enabling low-cost solar energy solutions
Role Purpose
Performs technical duties aCorning's Optical Fabrication team in Fairport, NY is seeking a Process Engineering Technician to support precision optics manufacturing across daily production and long-term process development. In this first-shift, Monday–Friday role, you'll work at the intersection of equipment health, process improvement, and new product introduction — collaborating daily with engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain to keep production running at peak performance. If you bring 7+ years of manufacturing technician experience and deep knowledge of precision optics, this is a high-impact, cross-functional opportunity with less than 5% travel and occasional evening or weekend support as needed.
Hours of work
- •Typical first shift production hours, M-F, 8am-5pm. Evening and weekend support as needed.
This position does not support immigration sponsorship.
The range for this position is $59,029.00 - $81,165.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.
A job that shapes a life.
Corning offers you the total package.
- •Company-wide bonuses and long-term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
- •As part of our commitment to your financial well-being, we provide a 100% company-paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement acc