Coating Engineer

Summary Of Job Responsibilities

We are seeking a highly skilled Thin Film Coating Engineer to oversee the development, scaling, and production of advanced thin film coatings. In this role, you will design coating stacks, optimize deposition equipment, and troubleshoot process variations to meet strict optical, electrical, or mechanical specifications. You will collaborate closely with R&D and manufacturing teams to transition new coating designs from concept to high-volume production.

Continuous Improvement Drive change through continuous improvement, including by setting goals and measuring and communicating our performance accordingly.

Duties And Responsibilities

Quality Assurance & Process Control

Establish Statistical Process Control (SPC): Define, monitor, and maintain SPC charts for critical-to-quality (CTQ) coating parameters (e.g., thickness uniformity, refractive index, adhesion) to identify and correct process drift before defects occur.

Define Quality Standards: Draft, implement, and update incoming raw material specifications, in-process inspection criteria, and final product release standards for all coated substrates.

Lead Continuous Improvement: Apply, Lean, or Kaizen methodologies to systematically reduce coating defects (like pinholes, flaking, or contamination), improve yields, and lower the Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

Manage Non-Conformance (MRB): Support the Quality engineer with the Material Review Board (MRB) process for the coating department. Issue, investigate, and close out Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) using structured problem-solving (e.g., 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone diagrams).

Audit & Compliance: Ensure the coating line remains fully compliant with internal quality systems and external industry standards (e.g., ISO 9001). Act as the technical subject matter expert during quality audits.

Process Development & Optimization

Design coating stacks and simulate thin film performance using software (e.g., Essential Macleod, TFCalc, or OptiLayer).

Develop deposition recipes for techniques such as PVD (sputtering, e-beam evaporation) or CVD to achieve target thickness, uniformity, and material properties.

Execute Design of Experiments (DOE): Plan and run structured DOEs to validate process windows, optimize parameters (vacuum levels, gas flows, temperature), and ensure process capability (\(C_{pk} \ge 1.33\)).

Quality Testing, Metrology & Characterization

Qualify Metrology Equipment: Support the Manufacturing cell, with the calibration, Gauge R&R (Repeatability and Reproducibility) studies, and preventative maintenance of all thin-film characterization tools.

Analyze Coating Integrity: Utilize spectrophotometers, to verify coating quality against customer drawings.

Execute Reliability Testing: Design and oversee accelerated environmental stress testing, including thermal cycling, humidity exposure, salt spray, and mechanical adhesion testing (e.g., tape pull, nanoindentation).

Equipment & Operations

Manage deposition equipment, ensuring regular calibration, support the implementation of effective preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting of vacuum systems.

Scale up processes from pilot scale to high-volume manufacturing lines while maintaining process stability.

Write standard operating procedures (SOPs) and train technicians on safe tool operation and in-line quality inspections.

People Management

Lead and/or support groups of technicians and engineers

Provide guidance to other team members

Train both team and broader organisation members

Relationship Management

Support regular coating productivity meetings with representatives from appropriate departments to establish an action plan for improving build quality

Communicate efficiently throughout the shop floor and with own and customer’s management

Liaise and communicate with other departments, customers, suppliers and other service providers

Self Management

Comply with the Health, Safety and Environmental Policies

Assertive, resilient and welcomes change

Engages interest and participation of others and has a collaborative approach to working with others

Proactively contributes to the team

Is self aware

Is resilient, optimistic and open to change

Shows moral courage, openness and honesty in all dealings

Skills And Required Abilities

Exercise substantial initiative/judgement in work methods and interpreting goals

Work independently and is reviewed infrequently with minimal supervision

Self-supervising within the guidance and expectations of divisional management

Knowledge of quality systems and measurement

Lean Manufacturing knowledge

Understanding of ISO14001 and Health and Safety practices

Understanding of engineering drawings and manufacturing processes

Ability to work in a diverse and dynamic environment

Planning and prioritising activities

Good communication and interpersonal skills

Negotiation skills

Ability to present data effectively

Problem-solving skills

Team working skills

Analytical skills

Understanding of cost and financial impacts

Education And Experience

Degree requirement: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a related STEM field.

Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience operating industrial vacuum deposition systems, with a proven track record of managing manufacturing quality systems.• Membership of an industry related Professional Body would be advantageous

Previous experience in a high volume manufacturing environment

Experience of dealing with customers and suppliers Example roles this job description may cover