Compounding Engineer

Lavelle Industries•Burlington, WI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Lavelle Industries is seeking a Compounding Engineer to join its Burlington R&D team. The role focuses on developing new materials, expanding capabilities, and applying technical knowledge to improve products. The engineer will work with operations, chemists, and engineering to develop and improve compounding solutions, and will become the company’s expert in rubber compounding, mixing, and preparation—from raw-material receipt through delivery of uncured rubber to molding. The position supports the mixing department and materials lab, investigates equipment and tooling options, leads cross-functional troubleshooting, reduces process variation, and develops mixing programs for new and existing materials. The engineer will document methods and findings in technical reports and present results to engineers, management, and colleagues. The role also works with the plant manager and engineering leader to establish annual improvement initiatives and align cross-functional efforts and targets. Lavelle describes the work as involving a wide variety of projects and material applications, with opportunities for continued learning and employee growth. The company offers a competitive salary and benefits package, an on-site free health clinic, casual attire and/or uniforms, and paid vacation and holidays.

Requirements

5 to 10 years of polymer compounding experience.
Hands-on expertise and comfort working in a rubber mixing environment.
Experience working with production and maintenance staff to troubleshoot and improve operational production equipment.
Experience conducting online research, including appropriate searches, disseminating information, and summarizing it for colleagues or teams.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
Ability to learn new technologies and concepts rapidly and apply them to Lavelle’s needs.
Experience leading troubleshooting efforts through experimentation.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience with rubber, rubber rheology, and molding processing is preferred.

Responsibilities

Become Lavelle’s expert in rubber compounding, mixing, and preparation, covering the process from raw-material receipt to delivery of uncured rubber to molding.
Support the mixing department and materials lab, including investigating equipment and tooling options for current and new processes and products.
Lead multi-department troubleshooting efforts with chemists, the materials lab, and process engineers.
Reduce variation in compounding operations, measured by rheology and molding results, using DOE and other methods.
Develop and improve mixing programs, including process steps, times, and temperatures, for new and existing materials.
Write technical reports detailing methods and findings.
Present findings to engineers, management, and other colleagues.
Work with the plant manager and engineering leader to establish annual improvement initiatives, then align efforts and targets cross-functionally.