Process Engineering Manager

Placon Corporation•Madison, WI

About The Position

The Process Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the process engineering team in new product process creation, support of capital equipment projects, process control and advanced troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. The role provides engineering expertise in the areas of materials engineering, product development, and process improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Polymer Science or related field plus 7 years of direct manufacturing engineering experience, some of which is polymer processing.

Nice To Haves

Prior leadership/management experience.
Knowledge of business concepts including project management, product costing, and budgeting, lean manufacturing and six sigma.
Knowledge of plastic materials, production processes, and equipment (extrusion and thermoforming).
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to effectively lead and participate on cross-functional teams.
Demonstrated problem-solving and project management skills.
Ability to multi-task and meet multiple deadlines.

Responsibilities

Promote a safe work environment that is clean and organized by establishing and enforcing the organization's safety policies for work activities.
Ensure adherence to company standards and certifications including ISO, SQF and GMP via established processes, documented work instructions, and recordkeeping.
Lead the Process Engineering Team in support of their role to provide process improvement and technical expertise for new product development and company operations.
Oversee development of new products by aligning resources including raw materials, labor, equipment, and supplies to deliver quality results in accordance with defined productivity standards to create statistically capable processes for all production platforms.
Develop strategies and plans for continuous process development and improvements to support improved operational efficiencies, machine/equipment purchases, upgrades, and cost reductions.
Identify new resin, additives, modifiers, and other technology or product enhancements to compliment or improve existing products and processes. Communicate with resin suppliers to identify new resin grades and evaluate their performance and benefit
Provide technical support for strategic purchasing initiatives for resin and other materials.
Support troubleshooting efforts, including problem identification and problem-solving, for all company platforms and processes with resources, technical expertise, and training/education as required.
Achieve financial objectives by creating and managing department budget, submitting purchase requisitions, and adhering to the corporate capital expenditures process, and maintaining accurate cycle rate standards.
Develop a competent staff that maximizes the team's contribution to organization by: Hiring and training to job functions Assigning work, appraising results and providing regular performance feedback Recognizing employees for exceptional performance Coaching, disciplining and exiting employees for poor performance Establishing individual development goals that align to strategic initiatives and department objectives Communicating company objectives, priorities, performance and memos
Establish and monitor metrics for quality, delivery and cost. Drive continuous improvement of customer experience by implementing identified improvement opportunities.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams by providing technical expertise in processing for all areas of the organization to maximize performance, quality, cost and delivery.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, benchmarking state-of-the-art practices and equipment and participating in professional societies.
Communicate openly and practice a no-surprise approach with Executive Team.
Lead and execute special large projects and other duties as assigned by Manager.