Process Engineer I, (Heat Treatment)

Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc.•Milford, NH

About The Position

The Process Engineer I owns an individual process within investment casting operations, with a focus on heat treatment. The role establishes and maintains standard operating procedures for the assigned manufacturing area and reviews or approves raw materials, vendor interfaces, equipment specifications, systems specifications, and controls. Products may serve aerospace, automotive, and defense markets. The engineer monitors process performance, investigates manufacturing issues, drives corrective and preventive improvements, maintains process risk documentation, and uses statistical analysis and structured improvement methods to improve quality, cost, and efficiency. The role also works with production planning, engineering, product engineering, design personnel, suppliers, and maintenance teams to ensure processes and equipment meet requirements and remain compatible with product designs. The position requires knowledge of thermal processing, furnace operation and controls, metallurgical principles, temperature uniformity surveys, pyrometry, calibration, process validation, and AMS2750 compliance. The engineer may also train less experienced technical personnel and perform other assigned duties. Employees must meet export-control eligibility requirements and be legally authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering and 2–4 years of experience, or equivalent knowledge.
Experience in thermal processing, furnace operation and controls, metallurgical principles, temperature uniformity surveys, pyrometry, calibration, and process validation.
Knowledge of AMS2750 compliance for consistent, traceable, and quality heat-treatment operations.
Familiarity with mechanical or manufacturing concepts, including heat transfer, fluid dynamics, material solidification, metallurgical or materials science, and manufacturing technologies involving metals, plastics, and ceramics.
Good communication and organizational skills.
Computer literacy, including competency with general MS Office applications, technical computer modeling, and statistical tools.
Project management experience working within budget and time constraints.
Must meet applicable export-control eligibility requirements and be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

Maintain key process indicators for an assigned manufacturing process, with goals of reducing variation and costs and improving efficiency.
Investigate manufacturing and process issues and initiate corrective actions that improve standard operating procedures.
Maintain the PFMEA for an assigned process and lead targeted product or process improvement efforts using the DMAIC approach.
Review and evaluate engineering changes and specification requirements, and serve as a technical liaison with production planning and engineering personnel.
Work with Product Engineering to recommend process development and design practices that improve product or procedure quality.
Verify equipment calibration and technically assess, vet, and approve equipment and raw-material suppliers; review incoming material certifications as needed.
Analyze process and product output data statistically to guide improvement decisions.
Establish equipment operating specifications and process control limits, improve manufacturing techniques, and introduce new processing equipment into production.
Coordinate with design personnel to ensure process and design compatibility.
Understand general equipment functionality, including mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and vacuum systems, and communicate equipment issues and preventive-maintenance needs to the maintenance team.
Deliver commitments in a timely and efficient manner.
May train and develop less experienced technical personnel.
Observe the Hitchiner code of conduct and safety and quality principles.
Perform other duties as assigned.