Senior / Principal Process R&D Engineer

Job Description

1. Position Overview

We are seeking a hands-on Senior / Principal Process R&D Engineer with strong experience in micro-machining of brittle materials (such as glass, ceramics, or silicon) for fiber-optic and photonics-related applications.

The role focuses on developing high-precision, repeatable, and scalable micro-structuring processes, leveraging technologies such as nanoimprint lithography, thermal imprint / hot embossing, laser micro-machining and hybrid micro-fabrication approaches.

The successful candidate will help build a small process R&D team in Singapore and drive early-stage process innovation toward future high-density fiber-optic manufacturing platforms.

2. Key Responsibilities

(1) Brittle Material Micro-Machining Process Development

. Develop and optimize high-precision micro-structures on brittle substrates, including:

. Glass

. Technical ceramics

. Silicon or similar materials

. Explore and integrate processes such as:

. Nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL / Thermal NIL)

. Thermal imprint / hot embossing

. Hybrid flows (imprint + etch, imprint + laser, imprint + CMP, etc.)

. Establish stable process windows with strong repeatability and yield.

(2) Tooling, Mold & Material Interaction

. Define requirements for precision molds / stamps / tooling, including:

. Material selection (Si, quartz, Ni-based, hard-coated tools, etc.)

. Surface treatments and anti-sticking / release layers

. Study and optimize:

. Thermo-mechanical behavior of brittle materials

. Stress, shrinkage, deformation, and defect mechanisms

. Identify and mitigate risks related to:

. Sticking and release

. Cracking, chipping, and residual stress

. Tool wear and lifetime

(3) Process Characterization & Metrology

. Define measurement and qualification methodologies for:

. Dimensional accuracy and uniformity

. Profile geometry and surface quality

. Defect density and process stability

. Utilize and correlate data from:

. Optical and white-light interferometry

. SEM / AFM / profilometry

. Custom in-house test structures where needed

(4) Team Building & External Collaboration

. Build and mentor a small, focused process R&D team (2-5 members)

. Collaborate with:

. Equipment vendors

. Material and tooling suppliers

. External research institutes or industrial partners (as needed)

. Support technology transfer from R&D into pilot manufacturing.

3. Required Qualifications

Education

. Master's or PhD degree in:

. Materials Science

. Mechanical Engineering

. Micro / Nano Fabrication

. Applied Physics

. Semiconductor / MEMS-related disciplines

Technical Experience

. 5+ years of hands-on experience in one or more of the following areas:

. Brittle material micro-machining

. Nanoimprint lithography (UV or thermal)

. Thermal imprint / hot embossing

. Ultra fast laser processing for brittle materials

. Precision micro-structuring processes

. Solid understanding of:

. Mechanical and thermal behavior of glass, ceramics, or silicon

. Tool-material interactions at micro / nano scales

. Process repeatability, yield, and manufacturability

Practical Skills

. Strong experimental execution capability

. Experience with:

. Process window definition

. DOE-based optimization

. Root-cause analysis for yield and defect issues

. Willingness to personally conduct experiments in early-stage development.

4. Preferred / Plus Qualifications

. Experience in fiber-optic, photonics, or opto-electronic manufacturing

. Exposure to:

. Laser micro-machining of brittle materials

. CMP, wet / dry etching of glass or ceramics

. Multi-step hybrid process integration

. Experience in early-stage technology incubation or scale-up

. Prior work in semiconductor, MEMS, or photonics packaging ecosystems

5. Soft Skills & Mindset

. Strong sense of process ownership and accountability

. Comfortable working in ambiguous, exploratory environments

. Engineering-driven mindset with practical problem-solving ability

. Ability to communicate clearly with management and cross-functional teams

. Motivation to build long-term, core manufacturing know-how

6. Career Path & Growth

. Potential evolution into:

. Principal Technologist - Photonics Manufacturing

. Head of Brittle Material Process Technology

. Opportunity to shape:

. Core process IP

. Future fiber-optic manufacturing platforms and applications

7. Why Join Us

. Work on next-generation fiber-optic manufacturing challenges

. High level of technical ownership and autonomy

. Opportunity to influence process architecture from the ground up

. Strong commitment to advanced equipment, tooling, and long-term R&D

. High-growth publicly listed technology company (JPT, stock code: 688025)

. Serving leading global high-growth technology customers