Engineering Technician

Polymer Concepts Technologies•Elgin, IL

31d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering Technician provides hands-on technical support to manufacturing operations by ensuring production equipment and processes are properly set up, operating effectively, and capable of meeting established production standards. This position serves as a technical resource to Production and Engineering by troubleshooting equipment and process issues, supporting standardized work, validating manufacturing setups, and assisting with the implementation of continuous improvement initiatives. The Engineering Technician works closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and other cross-functional partners to identify and resolve manufacturing issues, improve process reliability, and reinforce established operating and training requirements. The role is expected to demonstrate broad knowledge of production-floor operations and provide technical guidance and peer leadership to production employees.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in manufacturing, production, process support, equipment setup, or a related technical manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated hands-on knowledge of manufacturing equipment and production-floor operations.
Experience troubleshooting manufacturing equipment, production processes, or process-related problems.
Experience performing or supporting equipment and process setups.
Ability to read, understand, and follow work instructions, operation sheets, specifications, process documentation, and established manufacturing procedures.
Basic computer proficiency and ability to accurately maintain electronic or paper records.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree, technical diploma, apprenticeship, or equivalent training in manufacturing technology, mechanical technology, engineering technology, industrial maintenance, or a related discipline.
Five (5) or more years of experience in a technical manufacturing environment.
Experience in aerospace, defense, elastomeric products, seals, molding, or another regulated manufacturing environment.
Experience with compression, transfer, injection, or related molding processes.
Experience with secondary manufacturing operations and part-marking processes.
Experience supporting Lean manufacturing, 5S, root-cause analysis, corrective action, or other continuous-improvement methodologies.
Experience developing or revising manufacturing work instructions, operation sheets, or standardized work documentation.
Experience training or providing technical guidance to production employees.
Strong practical knowledge of manufacturing equipment, production processes, setups, and shop-floor operations.
Strong mechanical aptitude and technical troubleshooting skills.
Ability to systematically identify potential causes of equipment and process problems and support effective corrective actions.
Ability to interpret manufacturing instructions, specifications, process requirements, and technical documentation.
Understanding of Lean manufacturing, 5S, standardized work, waste reduction, and continuous-improvement concepts.
Ability to recognize process variation and manufacturing conditions that could affect safety, quality, productivity, scrap, or delivery performance.
Strong problem-solving and root-cause-analysis skills.
Ability to communicate technical information clearly to production employees, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, and operational leadership.
Ability to train, coach, and provide technical guidance to peers without formal supervisory authority.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple production priorities and respond effectively to changing operational needs.
Ability to work independently within established procedures while recognizing when technical or operational issues require escalation.
Proficiency with applicable manufacturing, ERP, documentation, and Microsoft Office systems.

Responsibilities

Support daily production operations by helping ensure scheduled presses and related production equipment are operational and available to meet manufacturing requirements.
Monitor and support production processes to help ensure equipment operates within established standards, including expected cycle or standard times.
Troubleshoot production equipment, tooling, setups, and manufacturing processes to identify causes of operational problems and restore effective production.
Troubleshoot molding processes and assist in resolving issues related to process parameters, equipment performance, tooling, materials, and production methods.
Troubleshoot secondary manufacturing operations and coordinate appropriate corrective actions with Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, or other resources as needed.
Troubleshoot part-marking operations and related equipment or process issues to support product and customer requirements.
Perform or support production equipment and process setups and validate that molding and secondary-operation setups are completed in accordance with approved requirements.
Train production employees on equipment setups, manufacturing processes, standardized work, and proper operating procedures within assigned areas of technical expertise.
Maintain applicable training records and reinforce adherence to established operating procedures and work instructions.
Develop, review, and revise operation sheets, work instructions, standardized work documentation, and related production documents in coordination with Engineering and Operations.
Review applicable nonconformance documentation and participate in follow-up, problem-solving, root-cause investigation, and corrective-action activities as assigned.
Assist Engineering and Production with evaluation of recurring manufacturing issues, process variation, downtime, scrap, rework, and other factors affecting production performance.
Apply Lean manufacturing, 5S, waste-reduction, and continuous-improvement principles to production processes and work areas.
Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, production flow, setup effectiveness, standard work, safety, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.
Support implementation and validation of approved process changes, equipment improvements, tooling changes, and manufacturing methods.
Provide technical guidance and peer leadership to production employees while reinforcing established manufacturing, quality, safety, and procedural requirements.
Communicate production or technical concerns promptly to Engineering, Production leadership, Quality, Maintenance, or other appropriate stakeholders.
Maintain accurate technical, training, process, and production-related records as required.
Perform assigned wastewater-related monitoring, operational, documentation, or support responsibilities in accordance with established company procedures and applicable environmental requirements.
Employees may be required to perform other related duties as assigned to meet business needs.