Extrusion/Production Engineer and Manager

TACO Metals • Sparta Hills, TN

7d • $75,000 - $90,000 • Onsite

About The Position

TACO Metals is seeking a hands-on Extrusion/Production Engineer and Manager to join their Plastics Manufacturing team in Sparta, TN. This is a high-impact growth opportunity for an individual with extrusion knowledge who enjoys problem-solving at the machine level and is ready to develop into a leadership role. The position involves working closely with current engineering and management staff to build technical, operational, and leadership skills necessary for the department's future. This is not a desk-only role; the candidate must be comfortable on the production floor, understand extrusion processes, troubleshoot in real-time, and build trust across various teams including operators, maintenance, quality, engineering, and production leadership. The role offers the chance to make a visible impact, improve current processes, and prepare for future leadership responsibilities, focusing on extrusion process improvement, new product launches, tooling/die enhancements, production support, operator training, scheduling, continuous improvement, scrap reduction, cost control, and leadership development.

Requirements

• Strong plastic extrusion or polymer processing experience.
• Understanding of extrusion lines, tooling, dies, resins, additives, downstream equipment, and process optimization.
• CAD experience in designing tools and dies.
• Comfortable 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.
• Leadership experience or the drive and potential to grow into leadership.
• Desire for a role where work directly impacts safety, quality, delivery, cost, and team development.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Plastics/Extrusion Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• Equivalent hands-on extrusion experience will be considered.
• 3–7 years of experience in plastic extrusion, polymer processing, or related manufacturing.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, ERP systems, production documentation, scheduling, or employee supervision.

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

• Opportunity for long-term advancement
• Develop technical, operational, and leadership skills
• Make a visible impact
• Be challenged, trusted, developed, and given the opportunity to make a real difference

What This Job Offers

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