Manufacturing Engineer

Company:

Job Description:

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management (Primary Focus):

• Lead and manage capital, engineering, and process improvement projects from initiation through closeout, owning scope, schedule, budget, and risk
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, Gantt schedules, milestones, and critical-path tracking across multiple concurrent projects
• Reviews and validates engineering designs, drawings, and deliverables to ensure they match project specifications and complies with all applicable NFPA Codes along with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Establish project governance including charters, RACI assignments, stage-gate reviews, and regular status reporting to plant and corporate leadership
• Coordinate cross-functional resources across engineering, maintenance, production, quality, procurement, EHS, and outside contractors
• Manage project budgets, forecasts, and variance reporting; control change orders, contingency, and scope creep
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks; escalate issues early with clear options and recommendations
• Drive on-time, on-budget delivery and successful commissioning, startup, and handover to operations

Capital (CAPEX) Project Leadership:

• Own the development of capital project business cases from concept through approval, including ROI, payback period, NPV, and total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Prepare approval-ready capital appropriation packages aligned with corporate governance and PCBG CAPEX approval requirements
• Quantify benefits such as capacity expansion, uptime improvement, labor reduction, energy savings, quality improvement, and safety risk mitigation
• Lead equipment specification, RFQ and bid package development, technical bid evaluation, and vendor selection
• Manage equipment procurement, installation, qualification, and validation through to production release
• Track capital spend against authorization and manage contractor and vendor performance to scope and schedule

Process Improvement and Continuous Improvement:

• Lead process improvement initiatives across compounding, extrusion, and material handling to improve throughput, yield, and cost
• Apply structured problem-solving and Lean / Six Sigma methods (RCA, DMAIC, Kaizen, 5S, SMED) to eliminate waste and reduce variation
• Analyze process and production data to identify bottlenecks, downtime drivers, and improvement opportunities
• Develop and implement standardized work, process controls, and capability improvements (Cp/Cpk)
• Partner with Quality to support APQP/PPAP, control plans, and corrective action for process-related issues
• Establish and track KPIs for productivity, OEE, scrap reduction, and project benefit realization

Mechanical and Electrical Engineering:

• Provide hands-on mechanical and electrical engineering support for plant equipment, systems, and capital installations
• Develop and review mechanical designs, P&IDs, electrical schematics, control narratives, and equipment specifications
• Support troubleshooting and reliability of mechanical systems (drives, gearboxes, conveyors, pumps, hydraulics, pneumatics) and electrical systems (motors, VFDs, PLC/control systems, power distribution)
• Ensure designs and installations meet applicable codes and standards (NEC/NFPA 70, NFPA 79, OSHA, machine safeguarding)
• Coordinate integration of new and modified equipment with existing utilities, controls, and automation
• Maintain engineering documentation, drawings, and change control

Leadership and Collaboration:

• Provide technical leadership and escalation support to production, maintenance, and quality teams
• Coach and mentor engineers, supervisors, and technicians in project management and structured problem-solving
• Communicate project status, risks, and results clearly to plant leadership and corporate stakeholders
• Comply with all applicable customer, safety, ISO/IATF 16949 QMS, and ISO 14001 EMS requirements.
• Perform any other duties as assigned.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to maintain concentration with frequent interruptions.
• Professional, well-groomed appearance and attire is advised.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
• Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS

This position involves working in an office and manufacturing environment.

Potential domestic travel: up to 25%

EDUCATION, Experience and TRAINING

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or related engineering discipline)
• Experience: 3+ years of engineering and project management experience in a manufacturing or plant environment.
• Preferred experience managing capital (CAPEX) projects from financial justification through commissioning and startup
• Demonstrated process improvement results using Lean / Six Sigma methods
• Hands-on mechanical and electrical troubleshooting and design experience
• Project Management certification (PMP or equivalent) preferred; Lean / Six Sigma certification preferred
• Proficiency with project scheduling tools (e.g., MS Project) and familiarity with an ERP system, preferably SAP
• Strong understanding of the plastics / polymer compounding industry preferred.