Operational Excellence Process Engineer

Merck•Carlsbad, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Operational Excellence (OE) Process Engineer is an onsite position in Carlsbad, CA. Approximately 10% of domestic and international travel is necessary to support business needs. This role provides you with the opportunity to apply analytical thinking, data-driven storytelling, and stakeholder influence to unlock the highest-value productivity opportunities for our Carlsbad Synthesis/Purification Operations (Thin Films and Specialty Gas). You will drive measurable productivity improvements by integrating Lean Six Sigma with Digital Solutions to deliver safe, reliable, and customer-focused outcomes. Collaborating with the OE Global Network, Digital Transformation, Operations, Maintenance, Process Development, and Global Engineering, you will deliver quick wins and identify longer-term OE and digital opportunities tracked in our internal systems. You’ll lead data access and analytics enablement to accelerate productivity across SVM/HVM processes, container builds, and New Product Launch optimization.

Requirements

BS in Chemical Engineering, Process Technology, Chemistry or any Engineering degree
5+ years in manufacturing/Process Engineering along with Lean Six Sigma experience with demonstrated problem-solving across chemical/physical processing environments
Green Belt certified with hands-on experience applying DFSS, DMAIC, RCCA, and FMEA

Nice To Haves

MS or PhD in Chemical Engineering or similar field
Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification
Data analytics experience (e.g., SPC/SQC, multivariate analysis) and familiarity with data platforms (e.g., Palantir Foundry or similar)
Experience in technology transfer (small-to-large scale), commissioning/start-up, and operations of systems used in electronics materials manufacturing (synthesis, purification, filling, storage)
Knowledge of semiconductor materials, packaging, processes, and customer experience
Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills; effective communicator across operators, engineers, and leadership
Ability to thrive in a matrixed team, partner with multiple functions, and manage change with stakeholders
Data literacy: experience with data storytelling, basic analytics, and using real time data to drive decisions

Responsibilities

Lead productivity initiatives across SYN/PUR product lines; develop and maintain Value Stream Maps (VSMs) & Daily Management Systems (DMS); drive process variation reduction (RCCAs, FMEA, DOE).
Leverage dashboards, apps, and data platforms to access and interpret critical process data; apply SPC and analytics to improve OEE, throughput, and quality. Collaborate with Digital Solutions and Data & Digital IT (DDIT) to accelerate data access, data quality, and analytics readiness for manufacturing decisions.
Own Management of Change (MOC) for OE implementations; design and deliver training on VSM, DMS, RCA, 5S, DOE, and digital tools; mentor site teams in problem-solving and data storytelling.
Define and track KPIs (e.g., WAVE-related productivity, cycle time, scrap, yield, on-time delivery); provide regular leadership reporting; escalate risks and opportunities with clear remediation plans.
Support technology transfer from pilot to commercial scale; contribute to commissioning/start-up activities for OE-driven projects; capture learnings for future scale-up across product lines.