Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials
About The Position
MANN+HUMMEL is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials to serve as a technical expert in raw materials, material performance, and durability. This onsite position is based in Gastonia, North Carolina. No visa sponsorship is available. The role develops and implements material standards, supports innovation initiatives, manages technical knowledge, and provides strategic guidance on material selection and application. The engineer works with product development, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, customers, suppliers, and external research organizations to ensure materials meet performance, quality, and business requirements. The position also drives continuous improvement, supports new product development, evaluates emerging technologies, and contributes to innovation and intellectual property strategies.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, with at least 5 years of experience in materials engineering and raw materials in a large, fast-paced manufacturing environment; alternatively, a Master's or Doctorate degree with at least 2 years of experience.
- Experience with material qualification, including wet laid and non-wovens, performance testing, and durability validation.
- Proven experience supporting and taking a product from development to manufacturing.
- Familiarity with material specifications, industry standards, and testing methodologies.
- Ability to travel up to 20% to other MANN+HUMMEL plants and customer and supplier sites within the United States and Mexico as needed.
Nice To Haves
- Master's or Doctorate degree preferred.
- Strong understanding of polymers, composites, filter media, and filtration materials.
- Knowledge of material characterization techniques and failure analysis methods.
- Experience with material selection and fitness-for-use assessments.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes and material-process interactions.
- Proficiency in engineering analysis tools and Microsoft Office applications.
Responsibilities
- Develop, maintain, and implement technical standards for designated raw material groups.
- Define material specifications and qualification requirements for new products and applications.
- Evaluate and approve materials for production use, ensuring compliance with performance and durability standards; provide technical authority to reject materials that do not meet requirements.
- Develop and continuously improve engineering procedures, test methods, and technical instructions.
- Support advanced development projects by evaluating new materials and technologies.
- Collaborate with Product Management and Advanced Development teams to identify innovative material solutions.
- Contribute to innovation roadmaps and technology strategies aligned with business objectives.
- Participate in planning, executing, and implementing innovation projects.
- Support patent strategy development and assess invention disclosures.
- Monitor internal and competitive patent activities and emerging material technologies; identify opportunities for innovation and intellectual property development.
- Maintain and update engineering handbooks, material databases, and technical documentation.
- Capture project lessons learned and incorporate findings into engineering standards and best practices.
- Facilitate knowledge transfer across engineering, manufacturing, and global teams, and ensure technical information is accessible to stakeholders worldwide.
- Provide technical support to manufacturing, quality, purchasing, and supplier teams on material-related issues.
- Participate in root cause investigations, failure analysis, and corrective action activities.
- Support customer and supplier technical discussions, negotiations, and specification reviews.
- Collaborate with global engineering teams to standardize materials and best practices.
- Represent MANN+HUMMEL at technical conferences, industry events, trade shows, and exhibitions.
- Build and maintain relationships with universities, research institutions, suppliers, and industry organizations.
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations to customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
- Travel up to 20% to MANN+HUMMEL plants and customer and supplier sites within the United States and Mexico as needed.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
