Manufacturing Quality Improvement Principal Engineer

Vantage Specialty Chemicals • Englewood, OH

97d • $116,000 - $174,000

About The Position

The Manufacturing Quality Improvement Principal Engineer provides technical leadership and subject matter expertise in process improvement, quality assurance, and manufacturing operations for personal care and food products. This position supports new and existing product development (NPD & EPD) by developing efficient, reproducible manufacturing and packaging procedures, validating processes, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards. The role involves hands-on work across laboratory, pilot scale, and commercial manufacturing environments and requires collaboration with cross-functional teams including R&D, Corporate Quality, Project Management, Batch Manufacturing and Packaging, and QA/QC.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial, or related); Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in process/manufacturing engineering within personal care, food, or pharmaceutical related industries.
• Strong expertise in Lean Six Sigma, SPC, DOE, and statistical analysis; Black Belt preferred.
• Demonstrated success in process validation, optimization, and cross-functional project leadership.
• Experience developing Process Instructions (PIs) and reproducible batch manufacturing and packaging procedures.
• Ability to work hands-on in laboratory, pilot scale, and commercial manufacturing environments.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) and NF (National Formulary) pharmaceutical products.
• Strong analytical, communication, and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead process improvement initiatives to optimize efficiency, quality, and reproducibility in manufacturing operations.
• Own the development of Process Instructions (PIs) for NPD & EPD projects, ensuring reproducible batch manufacturing and packaging procedures.
• Conduct laboratory testing to evaluate batches (e.g., viscosity, pH) and support investigative work on raw materials and processing equipment.
• Develop and validate manufacturing procedures and process specifications.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Perform root cause analysis and resolve non-conforming results.
• Support scale-up and technology transfer of new formulations to commercial production.
• Evaluate and validate new processing equipment and technologies.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary project teams to improve workflow, safety, and efficiency.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to engineers and cross-functional team members.
• Maintain compliance with FDA, GMP, ISO, HACCP, and other applicable regulatory and quality standards.

Benefits

• Medical, HSA, dental, vision
• FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking)
• Life and AD&D insurance
• Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance
• Short- and long-term disability
• EAP, identity theft protection
• Paid time off, Parental Leave
• 401(k) with company match

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree