Manufacturing Engineer 1

Cook Group • Canton, IL

2d

About The Position

The Manufacturing Engineer 1 provides technical support for day-to-day production activities in the manufacture of custom plastic components used in medical-device assemblies. This hands-on role works on the manufacturing floor and interacts extensively with production, product development, and quality teams. The position supports the extrusion department, product development, continuous improvement, complaint resolution, CAPA investigations, and other quality initiatives. It provides technical expertise to address manufacturing issues, identify root causes, and implement solutions that prevent recurrence. The role also supports process validation, design for manufacturability, and the evaluation and documentation of capital equipment and tooling purchases, while coordinating resources to manage multiple technical projects.

Cook projects a base salary range of $76,000 to $89,000 for this position, with actual pay depending on factors including qualifications, education, experience, and location. The position is eligible for a variable bonus opportunity based on company and/or individual performance. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. Cook offers on-site, hybrid, and fully remote work-location options; the description does not specify which applies to this position.

Requirements

• High school diploma with applicable experience; a bachelor's degree in a related field is required, with engineering or plastics preferred.
• At least 3 years of extrusion process development experience.
• Fundamental understanding of engineering principles.
• Extrusion process development and extrusion tooling design experience or knowledge.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office applications.
• Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• At least 5 years of work related to polymer processing.
• Process validation experience (IQ, OQ, PQ).
• Equipment qualification experience (IQ, OQ, PQ).
• Mechanical aptitude.
• Understanding of ISO 13485:2016.
• Knowledge of CFR, FDA, OSHA, and environmental regulations.
• Equipment or process troubleshooting experience.
• Blueprint-reading experience.
• Design of Experiments or Six Sigma experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide process support for the extrusion department.
• Provide hands-on technical support on the manufacturing floor.
• Interact with production, product development, and quality teams.
• Support product development, continuous improvement, complaint resolution, CAPA investigations, and other quality initiatives.
• Provide technical support as the process expert for manufacturing issues; investigate complex problems, determine root causes, and implement solutions to prevent recurrence.
• Support and drive continuous improvement activities to improve manufacturing operational performance.
• Lead the technical aspects of process validation projects.
• Assist product development teams with design-for-manufacturability requirements for new products.
• Support new capital equipment and tooling purchases through documentation and evaluation.
• Manage multiple technical projects by coordinating internal and external resources.
• Collaborate on product complaint resolution.

Benefits

• Company-sponsored 401(k) and profit-sharing plan.
• Paid time-off benefits.
• Medical and prescription drug insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Well-being resources supporting physical, emotional, and financial wellness.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).
• Voluntary employee-funded critical illness, accident, hospital indemnity, and long-term care benefits.
• Variable bonus opportunity based on company and/or individual performance.

What This Job Offers

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