Assembly Technicians II

If you’re looking for a special place to build or grow your career, you’ve found it. Whether you’re an experienced professional, a recent college graduate or somewhere in between, IDEX is a place where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones in an environment where you can make an impact.

With interesting opportunities in engineering, marketing, sales, supply chain, operations, HR, finance, and more across more than 40 diverse businesses around the globe, chances are, we have something special for you.

About the role:

The Optical Assembly Technician 2 performs advanced optical assembly and alignment operations requiring micron‑ and sub‑micron‑level accuracy. This role is responsible for actively aligning optical elements to mechanical housings, verifying optical and mechanical performance, and permanently securing optics using high‑precision tools and metrology. Work is performed in a controlled clean‑room manufacturing environment and requires significant technical skill, judgment, and independence in the execution of high‑performance optical products.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform active alignment of lenses and optical elements into metal housings using precision fixturing.
• Use alignment and metrology tools such as air‑bearing spindles, autocollimators, alignment telescopes, precision stages, and indicators to achieve required tolerances.
• Adjust decenter, tip, tilt, and axial position to meet defined optical and mechanical specifications.
• Apply adhesives and permanently secure optics while maintaining alignment during cure.
• Inspect optical elements for defects including scratches, digs, chips, and coating defects.
• Inspect machined metal housings for burrs, surface damage, and dimensional inconsistencies.
• Evaluate cosmetic and functional acceptability using defined optical inspection criteria.
• Determine fitness‑for‑use of optics and hardware prior to assembly and escalate issues as required.
• Measure critical features using high‑precision metrology tools including micrometers, bore gauges, comparators, and dial indicators.
• Verify alignment results and dimensional stability before, during, and after bonding.
• Independently troubleshoot alignment and assembly challenges, including tolerance stack‑up, fixture inaccuracies, part variability, and contamination.
• Adapt alignment and assembly techniques within controlled parameters when documented processes are incomplete or ambiguous.
• Partner with engineering and quality to resolve complex assembly issues.
• Accurately document alignment data, measurements, and final build conditions.
• Provide technical feedback to support process improvement, yield enhancement, and design for manufacturability.
• Support root‑cause investigations and corrective actions related to optical assembly issues.
• Maintain high standards of workmanship, repeatability, and discipline in clean‑room operations.

Education & Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Technical certification, associate degree, or equivalent advanced vocational training in optics, precision manufacturing, or a related technical field preferred.
• 3–5 years of hands‑on experience in precision optical assembly, active optical alignment, or optical metrology.
• Demonstrated experience achieving micron‑level alignment accuracy in a production or laboratory manufacturing environment.
• Experience working independently on complex, high‑precision optical assemblies with limited supervision.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Strong understanding of optical principles, precision measurement, and mechanical tolerancing.
• Proficiency with advanced optical alignment and metrology equipment.
• Ability to interpret optical and mechanical drawings, specifications, and tolerances.