Associate Network Engineer Jobs in Santa Rosa, CA

Summary:

VIAVI (NASDAQ: VIAV) is a global provider of network test, monitoring and assurance solutions for telecommunications, cloud, enterprises, first responders, military, aerospace, and railway. VIAVI is also a leader in light management technologies for 3D sensing, anti-counterfeiting, consumer electronics, industrial, automotive, government and aerospace applications.
We are the people behind the products that help keep the world connected at home, school, work, at play, and everywhere in between. VIAVI employees are passionate about supporting customer success and we welcome people who bring their best every day to the company - to question, to collaborate and to push for solutions that will delight our customers.

Duties & Responsibilities:

We are looking for a hands-on, resourceful engineering technician to serve as the on-shift process and technical point of contact for our night-shift coating production team at Viavi Solutions in Santa Rosa, CA. You are the first responder - diagnosing the issue with Manufacturing Technicians, deciding whether to recover, hold, or scrap, and coordinating the response across operators, on-call engineering, and oncoming day shift.

Primary responsibilities for the position include:

• Acting as the first point of contact for the night-shift manufacturing team on any technical, process, or equipment issue - triaging in real time and driving the issue to resolution before handoff.
• Troubleshooting both the process and the equipment - thin-film vacuum deposition systems and supporting subsystems.
• Escalating effectively - knowing what to attempt on-shift, when to pull in on-call equipment, process, or product engineering, and how to brief them with the data they need to act quickly.
• Coordinating the night-shift response across operators, EHS, facilities, and the oncoming day shift; running a clean handoff that captures what happened, what was tried, and what's still open.
• Supporting root cause analysis and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) for coating defects, equipment failures, and process excursions - both on-shift containment and post-event investigation.
• Training and directing coating operators during the shift on process troubleshooting techniques, recovery procedures, metrology, and quality standards.
• Executing engineering experiments, qualification runs, and tooling trials on behalf of process, product, and equipment engineers during off-shift hours.
• Collaborating with process and product engineering on special projects: new product, process, and material introductions; continuous improvement; FMEA; PCN creation and implementation.
• Operating and maintaining deposition equipment and performing routine preventive maintenance when production load allows; loading and unloading chambers, preparing substrates and fixturing, and following cleanroom protocols.
• Measuring and characterizing deposited coatings using spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, profilometers, and thickness gauges.
• Maintaining SPC charts, run logs, batch records, and traceability documentation in compliance with AS9100 and internal quality system requirements.
• Performing other assignments as needed.

Pre-Requisites / Skills / Experience Requirements:

Required Skills/Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree or technical certificate in optics, photonics, materials science, vacuum technology, or electro-mechanical technology strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 4 years of hands-on experience in optical coatings, thin-film deposition, vacuum processing, cleanroom manufacturing, or a closely related precision manufacturing environment - with demonstrated experience troubleshooting equipment or process issues, not just running to recipe.
• Working knowledge of vacuum systems, including pumps, gauges, gas delivery, and basic chamber maintenance.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose problems on complex electro-mechanical equipment: reading control signals, isolating a fault to a subsystem (vacuum, gas, power, controls, optical), and determining the next steps.
• Strong communication skills across roles and shifts - comfortable directing operators on the floor, briefing on-call engineering by phone, and running a structured handoff to the oncoming shift.
• Proficiency with optical metrology and QA testing equipment such as spectrophotometers, ellipsometers, profilometers, and thickness gauges; able to read and interpret coating spectra against design targets.
• Optics handling, cleaning, and inspection experience.
• Ability to read and follow written work instructions, blueprints, and engineering drawings - and to write up an issue clearly enough that day shift can pick it up cold.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision during off-hours, prioritize across multiple parallel issues, and keep production moving against deadlines.
• Strong data analysis skills - intermediate-to-advanced Excel, Word, and SPC/ statistical analysis tools.
• Must be U.S. Persons as defined by ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. "Green Card Holder"), Political Asylee, or Refugee.

Preferred Skills/Qualifications

• Direct experience with e-beam evaporation, ion-assisted deposition (IAD), and/or magnetron sputtering systems.
• Experience operating coating equipment to defined recipes and interpreting in-process signals (optical and/or crystal monitoring).
• Electro-mechanical troubleshooting depth - reading schematics, using a multimeter, interpreting PLC/HMI alarms, and working with equipment manuals to isolate faults.
• Prior experience as a lead technician, shift lead, or first responder in a 24/7 or off-shift production environment.
• Working knowledge of AS9100 and IATF16949.
• Experience with statistical data analysis techniques and statistical process control (SPC).
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Prior experience training or mentoring operators in a production setting.
• Aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or precision-optics manufacturing background.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• Work is performed in a cleanroom and adjacent production areas; gowning is required for the much of the shift.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods (8-12 hours), with intermittent sitting at metrology stations.
• Frequent lifting, carrying, and positioning of fixtures, substrates, and chamber hardware up to 35 lbs; occasional team lift up to 50 lbs.
• Manual dexterity to handle small, fragile optical components without damage or contamination.
• Close-vision acuity for inspection of optical surfaces and reading metrology displays; color vision sufficient to interpret coated samples.
• Must pass a pre-placement physical and respirator certification; able to wear a respirator during tasks that require it.
• Exposure to ordinary manufacturing hazards: high vacuum equipment, RF and DC power supplies, hot surfaces, compressed gases, and cleaning solvents. All hazards are controlled per established EHS procedures.

Shift Schedule

This is a night-shift position. Schedule is subject to operational needs; occasional flexibility for training, coverage, or shift handoffs may be required.

Job Posting Pay Range:

21

to

39