Manufacturing Process Engineer – Foam Extrusion & Process Development

Job Summary

We are seeking a Manufacturing Process Engineer with strong mechanical aptitude, analytical skills, and experience in manufacturing process development. This individual will improve PET foam extrusion, finishing, and downstream manufacturing processes, troubleshoot equipment, investigate root causes, and evaluate new materials and products.

The ideal candidate understands how equipment functionality, material properties, and process parameters interact to affect product quality and manufacturing performance. Exceptional technical writing, root cause analysis, and P-FMEA experience are essential.

This is an engineering-focused position, not a production operator role. The engineer will analyze processes, develop solutions, document procedures, train employees, verify equipment settings and material requirements on the manufacturing floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Process Engineering: Develop and optimize PET foam extrusion, hot plate welding, finishing, and downstream manufacturing processes.
• Root Cause Analysis: Independently investigate equipment failures, process deviations, and quality issues; document findings and implement verified corrective actions.
• FMEA & Engineering Changes: Develop and maintain FMEA/PFMEA documentation, prepare Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), and evaluate risks associated with process and equipment modifications.
• Process Optimization: Develop machine recipes, optimize operating parameters, conduct process trials, analyze yield and scrap, and improve manufacturing efficiency.
• New Materials & Products: Evaluate purchased materials, determine equipment and program modifications, and establish processing parameters through documented testing and analysis, and develop new line processes.
• Technical Documentation: Develop work instructions, standard operating procedures, process flow diagrams, troubleshooting guides, and technical reports.
• Equipment Analysis: Understand equipment functionality, material handling systems, conveyors, machine programs, and auxiliary equipment to identify and implement process improvements.
• Quality & Material Verification: Investigate and write deviations, review incoming material Certificates of Analysis (COAs) and bills of material (BOMs), verify machine recipes and silo levels, and assist with laboratory testing, including Karl Fischer moisture analysis.
• Production Support: Calculate manufacturing yields, analyze statistical process data, assist with month-end inventory counts and material reconciliation, and help train employees on process work instructions and manufacturing procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience conducting and documenting root cause analyses and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Experience developing or maintaining FMEA/PFMEA and evaluating manufacturing process risks.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems, manufacturing equipment, and process engineering principles.
• Exceptional technical writing, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Heavily experienced writing SOPs, step by step work instructions, materials deviations, and one-point lessons.
• Ability to learn specialized unfamiliar equipment and processes quickly and work independently to resolve complex equipment or material processing problems.
• Experience in RCA and ECRs; reports creation; Microsoft Excel (Advanced), SAP, and Power Bi.

Preferred: Experience with foam extrusion, polymer processing, PET; statistical process control (SPC); Design of Experiments (DOE), tool design, Minitab.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, with 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. as the typical schedule.

Flexibility is required for occasional earlier starts, extended hours, or weekend work to support critical projects, troubleshooting, testing, training, and inventory activities. Full-time, salaried exempt position.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Process Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering: 2 years (Required)
• SOP and Technical Writing: 1 year (Required)
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and PFMEA: 1 year (Required)
• Plastics, Polymer, or Extrusion: 1 year (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Colfax, NC 27235 (Required)

Work Location: In person