Extrusion Engineer & Production Manager

TACO Metals • Sparta Hills, TN

2d • $70,000 - $80,000 • Onsite

About The Position

TACO Metals is looking for a hands-on Extrusion Engineer & Production Manager to join our Plastics Manufacturing team in Sparta, TN. This is a high-impact growth opportunity for someone who knows extrusion, enjoys solving problems at the machine level, and is ready to develop into a larger leadership role. You will work closely with our current Plastics Extrusion Engineer and Plastics Production Manager while building the technical, operational, and leadership skills needed to help carry the department into the future. This is not a desk-only engineering role. We need someone who is comfortable on the floor, understands extrusion processes, can troubleshoot issues in real time, and can earn the trust of operators, maintenance, quality, engineering, and production leadership. This role gives the right person the chance to make a visible impact while preparing for long-term advancement. You will be involved in extrusion process improvement, new product launches, tooling and die improvements, production support, operator training, scheduling, continuous improvement, scrap reduction, cost control, and department leadership development. You will help improve how the department runs today — while preparing to help lead where it goes next.

Requirements

• Strong plastic extrusion or polymer processing experience.
• Understand extrusion lines, tooling, dies, resins, additives, downstream equipment, and process optimization.
• Enjoy being on the production floor and solving real manufacturing problems.
• Ability to communicate clearly with operators, technicians, engineers, supervisors, and managers.
• Organized, analytical, and able to follow issues through to resolution.
• Continuous improvement mindset and look for better ways to run the process.
• Leadership experience — or the drive and potential to grow into leadership.
• Desire for a role where your work directly impacts safety, quality, delivery, cost, and team development.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent hands-on extrusion experience will be considered.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, ERP systems, production documentation, scheduling, or employee supervision is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Troubleshoot, develop, and optimize plastic extrusion processes to improve quality, efficiency, throughput, and uptime.
• Evaluate and improve tooling, dies, downstream equipment, line setup, and process parameters.
• Support new product development, prototype trials, and production launches.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions related to quality, process performance, and equipment reliability.
• Support daily production operations across shifts to meet production targets and customer delivery needs.
• Help reduce scrap, improve line performance, and strengthen manufacturing standards.
• Train, coach, and support extrusion operators and production team members.
• Partner with Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Production, and Supply Chain to solve problems and drive results.
• Participate in Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, safety, cost-control, and capital planning initiatives.
• Develop knowledge in production scheduling, workforce management, budgeting, and departmental leadership.

Benefits

• Growth opportunity
• Develop technical, operational, and leadership skills
• Make a visible impact
• Long-term advancement
• Challenged, trusted, developed, and given the opportunity to make a real difference

What This Job Offers

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