ABOUT US

Join a Global Photonics Leader: Engineering Solutions from the Deep Ocean to Outer Space!

Gooch & Housego (G&H) is a global precision photonics manufacturer serving the industrial, aerospace & defense, life sciences, and semiconductor markets. With operations across North America, Europe, and Asia, G&H designs and manufactures advanced optical components, systems, and subsystems that enable some of the world’s most demanding applications.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As Senior Manager, Optical Fabrication, you will lead G&H Fremont's optical manufacturing organization across precision optical fabrication and optical and metal coating operations. Reporting to the Director of Operations, you will have direct accountability for manufacturing performance, organizational capability, and execution across these critical production areas.

You will establish and maintain a disciplined manufacturing operating system that delivers safe, predictable, high-quality production while continuously improving yield, throughput, cycle time, cost, capacity, and on-time delivery.

This is a senior, hands-on manufacturing leadership role requiring strong experience in precision optical manufacturing, optical fabrication and/or coating operations, combined with demonstrated success leading technical manufacturing organizations through growth, operational improvement, and change.

You will translate customer and business requirements into manufacturing priorities, capacity and resource plans, working closely with Production Planning, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Facilities, and Maintenance. You will be responsible for identifying and resolving manufacturing constraints, strengthening process capability and equipment reliability, improving WIP and production visibility, developing manufacturing talent, and ensuring the organization is prepared to support new products, process transfers, capacity expansion, and sustained business growth.

The successful candidate will bring both technical manufacturing depth and operational leadership discipline—the ability to understand the physics and process requirements of precision optics while building the systems, people, accountability, and execution rigor required to scale a high-performance manufacturing organization.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent combination of education and significant relevant experience considered. 
• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience in precision optics, optical fabrication, optical coatings, photonics, semiconductor, or another highly technical manufacturing environment. 
• 7+ years of manufacturing leadership experience, including significant responsibility for production teams and manufacturing performance. 
• Deep working knowledge of optical fabrication and/or optical coating processes, including relevant metrology, inspection, and testing methods, strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success improving manufacturing performance across safety, quality, yield, throughput, cycle time, cost, and on-time delivery. 
• Proven ability to lead complex manufacturing problem solving using Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, root-cause analysis, CAPA, or related continuous-improvement methodologies. 
• Working knowledge of precision optics manufacturing equipment, calibration and maintenance requirements, metrology/test systems, and manufacturing automation; familiarity with CAD or related technical tools is a plus.
• Experience supporting NPI, process transfers, equipment/process qualification, production ramps, and/or manufacturing capacity expansion. 
• Demonstrated ability to develop leaders and technical teams, build organizational capability, and drive accountability in a hands-on manufacturing environment. 
• Strong cross-functional leadership skills with the ability to influence Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, Facilities, and other stakeholders. 
• Strong business judgment, communication, and analytical skills with the ability to translate production data and operational risks into clear priorities and actions.

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Please note that this position will involve having access to items and technical data that may be controlled under U.S. export laws and regulations ("U.S. Export Control Laws"), including but not limited to the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ("ITAR"). To comply with the U.S. Export Control Laws, and in conjunction with the review of candidates for those positions within G&H that may present access to export-controlled technical data, G&H must assess whether candidates are "U.S. persons" as defined under the EAR (15 C.F.R. Part 772) and the ITAR (22 C.F.R. § 120.15). Certain questions asked during the application