Equipment Integration Lead

Duration: 12 months, possibility of extension
Shift: M-F: 8am-5pm, occasional OT

Job Description:
Position Summary
The Equipment Integration Lead is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing the installation and integration of new or modified equipment within an optical fiber, ribbon, and cable manufacturing or technical environment. This role serves as the primary point of contact between engineering, operations, facilities, quality, automation, and external vendors to ensure equipment is safely deployed, fully functional, and aligned with production and business requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end equipment integration projects from concept through design, installation, conversion, debug/commission, and handoff to the Qualification team.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including manufacturing, process engineering, facilities, quality, maintenance, EHS, automation, and supply chain
• Define equipment requirements, integration Product, timelines, milestones, and resource needs
• Manage vendor relationships for equipment design, FAT/SAT, installation, troubleshooting, and acceptance
• Ensure compatibility of equipment with facility infrastructure, utilities, controls systems, automation platforms, and production processes
• Oversee equipment setup, startup, testing, debugging, and performance optimization
• Drive issue resolution during installation and conversion through structured troubleshooting and root cause analysis
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, regulatory, and internal engineering standards
• Prepare and maintain project documentation including specifications, change controls, SOPs, work instructions, risk assessments, and turnover packages
• Track project progress, risks, budgets, and schedules; provide regular status updates to stakeholders
• Support training of operations and maintenance personnel on newly integrated equipment
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to improve equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, and maintainability

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Materials, Industrial Technology, or a related field, post-graduation degree is a plus
• Several years of experience in equipment engineering, equipment integration, manufacturing engineering, capital project execution, and scale up
• Experience leading equipment installation, startup, and commissioning activities
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing equipment, facilities integration, and production support processes
• Proven project management and cross-functional coordination skills
• Experience with troubleshooting complex equipment and system interactions
• Equipment design (CAD)
• Six Sigma certification, Root cause analysis
• Strong data analytics capabilities – SPC, JMP or Mini Tab/R/Origin Pro
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in regulated or high-tech industries such as optical fibers or advanced manufacturing
• Knowledge of FAT, SAT, IQ, OQ, PQ, or other validation/qualification methodologies
• Experience with CMMS, ERP, or engineering documentation systems
• Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement experience
• PMP or other project management certification is a plus

Key Competencies

• Leadership and accountability
• Technical problem-solving
• Project planning and execution
• Stakeholder management
• Risk assessment and mitigation
• Change management
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work in fast-paced operational environments

Work Environment

• Manufacturing plants, cleanrooms, laboratories, or industrial production areas
• Frequent interaction with equipment vendors, technicians, operators, and internal engineering teams
• May require off-hours or weekend support during equipment installation, startup, or production ramp