Engineering Manager
About The Position
The Engineering Manager oversees technical operations, equipment reliability, and process optimization at Reynolds Consumer Products’ high-volume, 24/7 plastic extrusion and bag-converting manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, Illinois. The role leads process engineers, maintenance technicians, and automation specialists to maximize uptime, reduce material scrap, and improve product quality across blown-film lines and high-speed bag-making machinery. The position leads technical design, configuration, and optimization of extrusion and converting machinery; drives continuous improvement and technology adoption; manages capital projects and asset-maintenance programs; and develops the technical team. The Engineering Manager also promotes a safety-first culture, establishes operating procedures, and supports cross-functional training.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related manufacturing field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
- At least 6 years of engineering experience within a plastics manufacturing plant.
- At least 2–3 years in a supervisory or management capacity.
- Strong working knowledge of blown/cast film extrusion, HDPE, LDPE, and LLDPE resins, and high-speed bag-making lines, including bottom-seal, side-weld, and zipper profile inserts.
- Proven experience leading continuous improvement frameworks such as Lean, 6S, or Six Sigma, with tangible scrap-reduction outcomes.
- Financial literacy related to project budgeting, cost justification, and scrap-dollar calculation.
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with control systems, PLC automation architectures, and inline vision inspection technologies.
- Ability to interface with quality control labs regarding resin melt-flow indexing and mechanical film testing.
Responsibilities
- Lead the technical design, parameter configuration, and optimization of blown-film/track extrusion lines and bag-converting machinery.
- Drive continuous improvement projects using Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma to address gauge variation, gauge-band reduction, and raw material waste.
- Evaluate and introduce technologies such as advanced automation, inline gauge controls, resin-blending systems, and modern die designs.
- Troubleshoot film wrinkles, poor heat seals, print quality, weak tensile strength, gauge instability, and other structural quality defects.
- Manage the CapEx budget, including timelines, vendor quotes, and ROI evaluations for machinery installations and facility upgrades.
- Oversee tooling and die maintenance programs, including cleaning, polishing, and configuration for custom bag specifications.
- Partner with Maintenance to develop a data-driven Preventative Maintenance program for extruders, winders, and converting lines.
- Manage, mentor, and develop process engineers, maintenance supervisors, and automation resources.
- Foster a safety-first culture in compliance with OSHA guidelines and ensure machinery has appropriate guarding, interlocks, and Lockout/Tagout mechanisms.
- Establish Standard Operating Procedures and cross-functional training matrices to bridge technical knowledge gaps between production and engineering.
Benefits
- 10% annual incentive eligibility, subject to business financial goals, individual performance goals, and plan administration guidelines.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
