Manufacturing Engineer
Keysight · Santa Clara, CA
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Keysight (industrial) in Santa Clara, CA.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, SPC, Control plans, Supplier quality, Automation, Painting / coating
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $115k–$169k.
Median of the low and high ends of 126 live postings that list pay, out of 346 manufacturing 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 345 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $111k–$159k, from 113 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Tooling 51%
- ✓ New product launch 49%
- ✓ Root cause 39%
- ✓ Automation 36%
- CATIA / NX 27%
- Machining 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SPC, Control plans, Supplier quality, Painting / coating, 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 Manufacturing team at Keysight
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: Keysight in Santa Clara
2 other open roles at this site.
- Optical Mechanical Manufacturing Engineer · Reliability
- Optics Assembly Technician · Manufacturing · Technician
Full description from KeysightAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
This Manufacturing Engineering position supports the Keysight Santa Clara Order Fulfillment (OF) group in the manufacture of high‑precision position measurement systems based on laser interferometry. The Manufacturing Engineer will play a critical role in sustaining mature HeNe laser tube products and manufacturing processes, ensuring continued product quality, reliability, and yield. This is a hands-on role requiring strong technical expertise, close collaboration with Production, and ownership of equipment, processes, and supplier quality related to this product line.
Key Responsibilities
Sustain and continuously improve mature HeNe laser tube products and manufacturing processes while maintaining the highest quality standards Perform hands-on calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of production test tools and process equipment Provide technical support to Production personnel, including root cause analysis and corrective actions for yield, quality, and reliability issues Own manufacturing process documentation, including work instructions, routings, and control plans Originate, review, and support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) Support component and materials supplier quality, including issue resolution and process improvements Apply statistical process control (SPC) techniques to monitor and improve manufacturing performance Design and conduct experiments and data collection to support process optimization and problem solving Lead and participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, quality improvement, and throughput enhancement Support new product introduction (NPI) activities, including process development, transfer, and production readiness
Qualifications
Required Knowledge & Experience Experience in most of the following technical areas is preferred: Scientific glass processing equipment Properties of optical‑grade glass and glass coatings Properties and behavior of metal alloys Vacuum processing and partial pressure analysis Chemical composition analysis Mechanical component inspection and metrology Gas laser theory (HeNe preferred) Statistical Process Control (SPC) methods and analysis Process automation
Qualifications
This Manufacturing Engineering position supports the Keysight Santa Clara Order Fulfillment (OF) group in the manufacture of high‑precision position measurement systems based on laser interferometry. The Manufacturing Engineer will play a critical role in sustaining mature HeNe laser tube products and manufacturing processes, ensuring continued product quality, reliability, and yield. This is a hands-on role requiring strong technical expertise, close collaboration with Production, and ownership of equipment, processes, and supplier quality related to this product line.
Key Responsibilities
Sustain and continuously improve mature HeNe laser tube products and manufacturing processes while maintaining the highest quality standards Perform hands-on calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of production test tools and process equipment Provide technical support to Production personnel, including root cause analysis and corrective actions for yield, quality, and reliability issues Own manufacturing process documentation, including work instructions, routings, and control plans Originate, review, and support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) Support component and materials supplier quality, including issue resolution and process improvements Apply statistical process control (SPC) techniques to monitor and improve manufacturing performance Design and conduct experiments and data collection to support process optimization and problem solving Lead and participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction, quality improvement, and throughput enhancement Support new product introduction (NPI) activities, including process development, transfer, and production readiness
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Overview Keysight is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~15,000 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more about what we do. Our award-winning culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers.