Sr. Engineer

Original Composites and Fibers•Granville, OH

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a member of the Technology & Capital Delivery organization, the Sr. Engineer, R&D - Americas Minerals & Petrography serves as the regional technical expert for mineral raw materials, glass chemistry, petrographic analysis, and analytical characterization across the Original Composites & Fiberglass Americas manufacturing network. This role advances technical understanding of mineral systems, glass defects, raw material performance, furnace-related quality issues, and sustainability opportunities to support safe, stable, and cost-effective operations. The position partners with plant technical teams, Operations, Innovation, Quality, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and external suppliers to improve product quality, process capability, raw material utilization, and manufacturing performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Geology, Mineralogy, Ceramic Engineering, Glass Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Demonstrated experience in glass manufacturing, industrial minerals, raw materials, analytical laboratories, or another process manufacturing environment.
Strong knowledge of glass chemistry, batch formulation, mineral systems, and melting processes.
Experience performing root-cause investigations and translating technical findings into corrective actions.
Knowledge of petrographic analysis, microscopy techniques, defect characterization, and material characterization methods.
Ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into actionable business and manufacturing recommendations.
Strong project management, technical writing, presentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to travel throughout the Americas region approximately 25-40%, with travel fluctuating based on plant priorities and project needs.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degrees in Glass Science, Geology, Mineralogy, Ceramic Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
Experience with fiberglass, glass manufacturing, refractories, industrial minerals, or comparable process industries.
Knowledge of analytical techniques such as SEM/EDS, XRF, XRD, optical microscopy, image analysis, or related technologies.
Experience supporting sustainability, recycled materials, alternative raw materials, or raw material innovation initiatives.

Responsibilities

Promote a culture of safety and environmental stewardship in all laboratory, plant, and field activities.
Ensure compliance with applicable safety procedures, laboratory standards, and environmental requirements.
Support safe execution of trials, testing, sample collection, and technical investigations.
Participate in risk assessments and technical reviews associated with new materials and process changes.
Serve as the Americas subject matter expert for minerals, raw materials, and batch constituents used in glass manufacturing.
Evaluate raw material performance, consistency, purity, availability, and impact on furnace operations and product quality.
Support supplier qualification, alternative source evaluations, and sustainability initiatives involving recycled and decarbonized materials.
Partner with Sourcing and Operations teams on strategic mineral-related challenges and opportunities.
Develop technical recommendations for material specifications, acceptance criteria, and change management.
Lead petrographic analysis and characterization of glass, defects, inclusions, refractory contamination, stones, seeds, cords, and other quality concerns.
Utilize microscopy, SEM, XRD analytical tools, and laboratory techniques to determine root causes of manufacturing and product issues.
Develop and maintain best practices for petrographic investigations, sample handling, documentation, and technical reporting.
Interpret analytical results and communicate findings and recommended actions to plant, quality, and leadership teams.
Lead petrography of OCF plants for supporting escalations analysis and training for global network.
Provide technical support to manufacturing plants on glass chemistry, batch formulation, melting performance, and process capability.
Positive impact on continuous improvement batch house projects via measurables of cycle time, reducing batch weighing variations (Cpk), and batch house maintenance/reliability across the network.
Support troubleshooting related to raw materials, melting, refractory interactions, and product quality.
Analyze operational and laboratory data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Support process optimization initiatives that improve quality, productivity, sustainability, and cost competitiveness.
Provide technical support during major furnace events, trials, rebuilds, startups, and material transitions as required.
Support development and implementation of innovative mineral technologies, recycled materials, and sustainability initiatives.
Participate in research focused on raw material performance, furnace efficiency, emissions reduction, and circular economy objectives.
Collaborate with Innovation teams to transition new technologies and formulations into manufacturing.
Develop technical standards, procedures, training materials, and repeatable methods for regional use.
Capture lessons learned and mentor plant engineers and technical personnel in glass chemistry, minerals, defect analysis, and petrography.
Build strong partnerships across Operations, Innovation, Quality, Capital Delivery, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and external partners.
Communicate complex technical findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Influence decisions through data, expertise, sound judgment, and collaborative problem solving.
Share best practices across plants and contribute to a connected regional and global technical network.