Plastics Engineer - Manufacturing

United Pipeline Systems, Inc.•Farmington, NM

7h•$90,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

We’re seeking a Plastics Engineer to provide technical leadership and process support for United Pipeline Systems’ rotational lining operations. This role will focus on the rotational molding/lining equipment and manufacturing processes used to produce high-quality thermoplastic-lined pipe, fittings, and related components. The Plastics Engineer will develop, optimize, document, and troubleshoot rotational lining processes, with particular emphasis on material behavior, heating and cooling cycles, rotational parameters, lining thickness and uniformity, surface preparation, and finished-product quality. This position will work closely with production, quality, maintenance, and engineering teams to improve process consistency, equipment capability, throughput, and overall product performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field.
3–7+ years of experience in plastics processing, manufacturing engineering, or a related manufacturing environment.
Hands-on experience with rotational molding, rotational lining, thermoplastic processing, or comparable thermal plastics-processing equipment.
Strong understanding of thermoplastic material behavior, including the relationship between temperature, time, material flow, cooling, and finished-part properties.
Demonstrated ability to develop manufacturing process parameters, troubleshoot defects, perform root-cause analysis, and improve process consistency.
Experience working directly with production equipment, operators, maintenance, and quality personnel in a manufacturing environment.
Ability to analyze process data, identify sources of variation, and translate findings into practical manufacturing improvements.
Strong technical documentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

Provide engineering ownership and day-to-day technical support for the rotational lining machine and lining process, from material preparation through heating, rotation, cooling, inspection, and finished-product evaluation.
Develop, document, and optimize rotational lining parameters, including temperature profiles, heating time, rotational speed, cooling cycles, material loading, and part positioning.
Establish process windows and operating standards that produce consistent lining thickness, coverage, surface quality, and overall finished-product integrity.
Troubleshoot lining defects and process variation, including uneven lining thickness, incomplete coverage, voids, bubbles, surface defects, material degradation, and other quality issues.
Evaluate thermoplastic materials used in rotational lining and understand how material properties, powder characteristics, processing temperatures, and thermal history affect the finished lining.
Work closely with operators and production leadership to improve cycle time, repeatability, throughput, scrap/rework, and overall equipment effectiveness.
Support the design, modification, and improvement of rotational lining equipment, fixtures, tooling, controls, and process instrumentation.
Partner with maintenance personnel to identify equipment-related causes of process variation and establish preventive maintenance and calibration requirements for critical process equipment.
Develop and maintain process documentation, including work instructions, process specifications, parameter sheets, troubleshooting guides, inspection criteria, and process-control records.
Establish appropriate inspection and testing methods for lined products and analyze quality data to identify trends and drive corrective actions.
Lead structured root-cause investigations and continuous-improvement projects using tools such as FMEA, SPC, DOE, and Lean manufacturing methods.
Support development and qualification of new lined products, pipe/fitting configurations, materials, and process improvements.
Provide technical training to rotational lining operators, maintenance personnel, and other manufacturing employees.
Visit project sites regularly and travel as required.