Process Engineer

H.B. Fuller•Charlotte, NC

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Process Engineer will play a critical role in supporting H.B. Fuller's Aerospace Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Charlotte, NC. This facility serves as the company's primary manufacturing and packaging site for aerospace polysulfide sealants, supporting commercial, defense, and space industry customers worldwide. Reporting to the Plant Manager and partnering closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, EHS, Engineering, and technical teams, the Process Engineer will lead initiatives to improve safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and cost performance across bulk manufacturing and packaging operations. This role will be responsible for identifying and implementing process improvements, supporting capital projects, optimizing manufacturing systems, and ensuring sustainable operational excellence in a highly regulated aerospace environment. The first 6 months of this role will require 30-50% travel to Irvine, CA, Wilmington, CA, and Ball Ground, GA for onboarding purposes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
3+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
Experience supporting process improvement, manufacturing optimization, or production operations.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data analysis tools.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of process engineering experience in chemical, adhesives, sealants, polymers, specialty materials, or related industries.
Experience in OSHA Process Safety Management (PSM) environments.
Working knowledge of PHA, MOC, PSSR, and risk assessment methodologies.
Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Experience with process controls, automation systems, PLCs, DCS, and manufacturing data systems.
Statistical Process Control (SPC) and process capability analysis experience.
Experience supporting capital projects and equipment installations.
Knowledge of aerospace, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, or specialty chemical manufacturing processes.
Experience using SAP or other enterprise manufacturing systems.

Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership for bulk manufacturing, material handling, packaging, and supporting production processes.
Analyze manufacturing performance and identify opportunities to improve throughput, yield, cycle time, quality, and overall equipment effectiveness.
Lead troubleshooting efforts for process deviations, equipment performance issues, and production constraints.
Develop and implement sustainable solutions that improve process capability and manufacturing reliability.
Support production scheduling and capacity planning through process analysis and bottleneck identification.
Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives to eliminate waste, reduce variation, and improve operational performance.
Establish and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) related to safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost.
Utilize statistical analysis, SPC methodologies, and data-driven decision making to drive continuous improvement efforts.
Facilitate root cause investigations and corrective action implementation for process failures.
Serve as a key technical resource for Process Safety Management (PSM) activities.
Participate in Process Hazard Analyses (PHA), Management of Change (MOC), Pre-Startup Safety Reviews (PSSR), and other PSM programs.
Ensure manufacturing processes comply with OSHA, EPA, ISO, customer, and corporate requirements.
Support development and maintenance of standard operating procedures, work instructions, and technical documentation.
Support design, justification, and implementation of capital improvement projects.
Develop engineering solutions to increase manufacturing capacity and improve operational efficiency.
Participate in equipment selection, commissioning, validation, and startup activities.
Partner with Engineering and Operations teams on future expansion initiatives within the Center of Excellence.
Collaborate with Quality and Technical organizations to improve process robustness and product consistency.
Support scale-up, validation, and commercialization of new and existing products.
Lead technical investigations involving manufacturing performance, process capability, and customer concerns.
Provide training and technical guidance to operations personnel on process changes and best practices.
Work closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Maintenance, EHS, and R&D teams to achieve site objectives.
Foster a culture of safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
Serve as a technical resource for customers, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and internal stakeholders as needed.