Opto-Mechanical Process Specialist

Corning · Fairport, NY

Level: Specialist
Team: Reliability
Base pay: $85k–$117k
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 3+ years
Industry: Industrial
Posted: 2 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A specialist reliability role at Corning (industrial) in Fairport, NY. Here, you will work across product design engineering, development, and operations, to design and build practical, scalable opto-mechanical manufacturing solutions that support both prototype and production needs.

They ask for: 3+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Tooling
Base pay: $85k–$117k

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Reliability Engineer roles in New York: typical posted base $91k–$126k. This one lists $85k–$117k.

Median of the low and high ends of 17 live postings that list pay, out of 22 reliability 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 21 other live reliability postings in New York.

Base pay: About 10% below similar roles
Experience asked: Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Team leadership 36%
PLC 32%
EHS / safety 27%
Root cause 23%
Lean 23%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 3+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

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 Reliability 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?
- 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

9 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
Process Engineering Technician - Optical Fabrication · Process
Quality Engineer · Quality

All 10 roles at Corning →

Full description from CorningAs posted on their careers site.Show

Required Qualifications

✓Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant opto-mechanical design experience
✓3+ years of engineering experience, ideally in optics or precision manufacturing
✓Experience with opto-mechanical design, fixture design, or precision assembly processes
✓Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage multiple priorities with limited supervision

Preferred Qualifications

✓Experience with close-tolerance optical or mechanical assembly in a cleanroom environment
✓Familiarity with metrology tools such as interferometers, profilometers, or autocollimators
✓Experience with 3D CAD software such as Creo
✓Background transferring products from development into manufacturing

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.

The range for this position is $84,932.00 - $116,782.00 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 accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
✓Our health and well-being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company-paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
✓Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.

We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Show full description ↓

Requisition Number: 79622

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.

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Role Purpose

Corning is hiring an Opto-Mechanical Process Development Engineer to support assembly design and prototyping for the Corning Rochester Technology Center, Advanced Optics facility In Rochester, New York. This is an onsite role supporting a standard daytime schedule, with some flexibility needed during peak project phases and less than 10% travel.

You’ll bring new optical products and manufacturing processes from development into production. Here, you will work across product design engineering, development, and operations, to design and build practical, scalable opto-mechanical manufacturing solutions that support both prototype and production needs. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys solving complex manufacturing challenges, building practical process solutions, and collaborating across functions to improve product quality, readiness, and scalability.

What You’ll Do

•Develop new opto-mechanical manufacturing processes and production capabilities for precision optical products
•Partner with product development and manufacturing teams to align product design with process readiness
•Design or specify tools, fixtures, equipment, and test methods needed for new manufacturing capabilities
•Lead prototype and pilot builds to support quality, delivery, and manufacturing readiness goals
•Create clear manufacturing documentation, including process flows, work instructions, and checklists
•Train manufacturing personnel on new processes, equipment, and assembly methods
•Solve mechanical and process challenges related to precision optical assembly and manufacturing scale-up