Compounding Engineer

Westlake • Bristol, TN

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

Westlake is hiring a Compounding Engineer in Bristol, TN to help drive formulation innovation, process improvement, and manufacturing performance. In this role, you will work closely with operations, R&D, suppliers, and business leaders to optimize compounds, solve production challenges, and support new product development. This is a strong opportunity for an engineer who enjoys hands-on plant support, cross-functional collaboration, and using data to improve quality, efficiency, and product performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited university in Mechanical, Chemical, Materials, or Plastics Engineering.
• 3 to 5 years of hands-on plastics compounding experience, ideally in rigid or foamed PVC extrusion or a similar chemical or physical manufacturing environment.
• Strong collaborative problem-solving skills in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to make data-driven decisions to support compounding and extrusion plant operations.
• Strong organization, project management, and task prioritization skills.
• Ability to define problems, execute trials, analyze data, draw sound conclusions, and build consensus across technical and operational teams.
• Knowledge of polymer chemistry, manufacturing processes, testing, and material analysis.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with PVC extrusion processes and polymer formulation development.
• Knowledge of Six Sigma methodologies and tools such as DOE, DMAIC, FMEA, Fishbone, and 5-Why analysis.
• Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, testing, and implementation of new material compounds to support productivity, quality, and business objectives.
• Develop standard work and scalable processes for evaluating and implementing compounding changes across production platforms.
• Use design of experiments and other analytical methods to assess formulation changes and their impact on manufacturing performance.
• Partner with operations, R&D, and leadership to solve production issues, improve processes, and support new product development.
• Coordinate laboratory work, pilot trials, and production trials to improve product performance, reduce scrap, and optimize cost efficiency.
• Analyze data using statistical tools and communicate findings clearly to technical and operational stakeholders.
• Collaborate with suppliers to stay current on new raw materials, equipment, and industry developments.
• Support formulation cost analysis, capital planning, and process improvement initiatives related to existing and new products.

Benefits

• Potential to enrich work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on product and process innovation in a hands-on manufacturing environment.
• Opportunity to collaborate with operations, R&D, and suppliers to improve quality, performance, and cost efficiency.
• High-visibility role with opportunities to influence new products and plant performance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level