Our mission is to develop innovative laser solutions to make the world a better place. To accomplish this mission, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent and an engaged and thriving workforce that drives a sustainable future for our company and society.
Working at IPG Photonics you can expect challenging projects, a motivating and friendly environment, and competitive benefits.
Job Summary
The Sustaining Product Engineer is a hands-on member of the LightWELD engineering team responsible for sustaining IPG’s LightWELD handheld laser welding product family in manufacturing. This role focuses on released-product support, manufacturing process stability, root cause and corrective action, engineering change management, and continuous improvement of assembly, test, quality, reliability, and cost. The engineer works with manufacturing, quality, service, supply chain, optomechanical, electronics, and software teams to keep LightWELD products robust, manufacturable, serviceable, and ready for customer demand.
Key Responsibilities
- Support LightWELD sustaining engineering activities for released products, daily manufacturing needs, production constraints, and product quality, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost improvements
- Lead or support troubleshooting, failure analysis, and root cause/corrective action for LightWELD manufacturing, assembly, test, supplier, field, and service issues
- Own sustaining engineering changes, including ECOs, drawing and BOM updates, configuration control, deviations, and documentation releases needed for stable and repeatable production
- Partner with production, manufacturing engineering, quality, supply chain, service, optomechanical, electrical, and software teams to improve assembly methods, test processes, yields, throughput, and product consistency
- Create, maintain, and revise SolidWorks models, drawings, fixtures, work instructions, test documentation, and engineering records in SolidWorks PDM, ensuring compliance with GD&T, ASME Y14.5, and configuration-management practices
- Support sustaining process improvements such as DFM/DFA updates, tolerance analysis, material and supplier evaluations, cost reduction, reliability improvements, and safety or regulatory updates for high-power handheld laser welding systems.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Product Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 2–4 years of relevant sustaining, manufacturing, mechanical, or product engineering experience, with hands-on involvement in assembly, testing, troubleshooting, and production support of mechanical or electromechanical systems
- Experience in sustaining, manufacturing, quality, or reliability engineering, including RCCA, CAPA, PFMEA, 8D, or similar structured problem-solving methodologies
- Proficiency with SolidWorks 3D CAD and 2D drafting, including GD&T and ASME Y14.5, with practical understanding of configuration control, released-product documentation, and manufacturability-focused design updates
- Strong analytical, hands-on problem-solving, cross-functional communication, and documentation skills, with the ability to drive issues from investigation through implementation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience using SolidWorks PDM or similar systems for configuration management, revision control, ECO release, and manufacturing documentation control
- Knowledge of product manufacturing processes such as machining, sheet metal, casting, molding, additive manufacturing, joining, finishing, assembly, and test
- Exposure to optomechanical systems, precision assemblies, power electronics, thermal management, or laser-based industrial equipment
- Experience using data, Python, Excel, or similar tools to analyze manufacturing yield, test results, field/service trends, reliability data, or corrective-action effectiveness
- Experience supporting handheld industrial tools, welding equipment, laser systems, or high-volume released products; Master’s degree in a related technical field is a plus.
75,000 - 99,500
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Product Engineering, or related technical discipline
- 2-4 years sustaining, manufacturing, mechanical, or product engineering experience with hands-on assembly, testing, troubleshooting, and production support
- Experience with structured problem-solving methodologies (RCCA, CAPA, PFMEA, 8D or similar)
- Proficiency with SolidWorks 3D CAD and 2D drafting, including GD&T and ASME Y14.5
- Experience with released-product configuration control, documentation, and ECO/change management
- Strong analytical, hands-on problem-solving, cross-functional communication, and documentation skills
- Experience using SolidWorks PDM or similar systems for revision control and documentation management
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes (machining, sheet metal, molding, joining, assembly, test) and exposure to optomechanical systems, power electronics, thermal management, or laser equipment
- Experience using data analysis tools (Python, Excel) to analyze yields, test results, reliability, or corrective-action effectiveness
- Experience supporting handheld industrial tools, welding equipment, or laser systems; Master's degree is a plus
IPG Photonics Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about IPG Photonics and has not been reviewed or approved by IPG Photonics.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An Employee Stock Purchase Plan offers a 15% discount with a lookback feature and is available in the U.S. and Germany. This broad-based equity program is consistently highlighted as a standout component of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO typically starts around three weeks with growth over tenure, alongside roughly 10–12 paid holidays and noted carryover options. Time-off policies are often viewed as a strong part of the package.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Annual bonuses are emphasized as a meaningful part of total compensation. Company materials and role descriptions explicitly include bonuses as part of the offering.
IPG Photonics Insights
What We Do
IPG Photonics is the world leader in fiber laser technology, offering solutions for applications across a wide array of industries. Headquartered in Marlborough, USA, the company has developed a robust, vertically integrated supply chain, developing key technology components in-house, thus enabling the most reliable, powerful, and efficient laser solutions. With over 30 locations across the globe, we are committed to developing innovative products that provide reliable, cost-effective solutions for our customers’ needs.
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