Materials Process Engineer

About the Role

We're looking for a curious and hands-on Materials Process Engineer who enjoys solving manufacturing challenges, developing innovative materials, and driving continuous improvement. If you have a strong technical background in polymers or materials science and enjoy collaborating across engineering, innovation, and production teams, this is a great opportunity to make a meaningful impact on new product development and manufacturing excellence.

Why Placon – You'll Love It Here

• Play a key role in developing next-generation materials and products
• Work with advanced manufacturing technologies and processes
• Collaborate with Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Production teams
• Influence capital projects and process improvements across the organization
• Growth-focused environment that encourages learning and innovation
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on product quality, efficiency, and profitability

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute plans to qualify new materials and products while demonstrating process capability
• Investigate, test, and establish specifications for new materials used in thermoforming processes, including mono- and multilayer coextrusions, laminations, and coatings
• Collect, analyze, and present data-driven recommendations to support decision-making
• Support capital equipment projects by becoming a subject matter expert on materials, processes, and equipment
• Create work instructions, process documentation, and training materials for production teams
• Collaborate with Design and Engineering teams to support new product development and tooling requirements
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including specifications and technical data sheets
• Establish and review product standards for material usage, labor, and equipment performance
• Support process development and continuous improvement initiatives within ISO quality systems
• Prepare capital expenditure proposals and support project approval processes
• Research and evaluate next-generation materials and manufacturing technologies

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• Strong technical understanding of polymer materials, processing methods, and testing techniques
• Experience collecting and analyzing data to support process and product decisions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams
• Strong organizational, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills
• Self-motivated with exceptional attention to detail and time management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a manufacturing environment
• Knowledge of extrusion, thermoforming, and related plastics processing technologies
• Understanding of statistical process control and capability analysis
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies
• Project management experience, including project planning, risk identification, and milestone tracking
• Familiarity with ERP systems, QMS software, Oracle, InfinityQS, and Microsoft Office Suite

Work Environment

• Combination of office and manufacturing environments
• Exposure to industrial equipment, including extruders, thermoformers, and trim presses
• GMP-certified manufacturing environment, ISO 9001-certified facility, and ISO 8 clean room operations

Travel

Limited travel, including local, regional, national, and occasional international trips to support projects, suppliers, and industry events.

Pay

Competitive salary based on experience.

Schedule

Standard business hours, M-F 8am - 5pm | Additional flexibility as needed to support projects, trials, and equipment implementation.