Process Engineer

Department: Engineering / Operations 

Reports To: Executive Vice President 

Work Type: Full-time

Position Summary

ecoat.us is seeking a Process Engineer to improve and support the electrocoat, liquid-paint, and powder-coating processes at the Cleveland facility. This position will focus on process improvements, new equipment and technology, vendor management, utility savings, process efficiency, and safety.

The Process Engineer will work closely with the Process Manager, Plant Manager, and Executive Vice President to execute company objectives. The successful candidate will be safety-minded, capable of working around chemicals and mechanical operations, and competent in standard computer operations and management software. CAD experience is a plus.

Essential Responsibilities

• Improve process capability, throughput, quality, reliability, and efficiency across e-coat, liquid paint, and powder-coating operations.
• Analyze process data to identify variation, waste, bottlenecks, downtime, rework, scrap, and cost opportunities.
• Research and evaluate new technologies, equipment, automation, controls, and process-improvement tools.
• Assist with equipment specification, procurement, installation, startup, and validation.
• Identify and implement projects that reduce electrical, gas, water, compressed-air, chemical, and other utility usage.
• Serve as a technical contact for equipment, coating, chemical, and process vendors.
• Define vendor requirements, evaluate proposals, coordinate trials, and verify results against defined criteria.
• Work with Production, Quality, Lab, Maintenance, Purchasing, and leadership to implement company objectives.
• Develop and maintain process specifications, operating parameters, work instructions, control plans, and engineering documentation.
• Support ISO 9001:2015 requirements for process control, documented information, and continual improvement.
• Support 5S, Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, standard work, waste reduction, and visual-management activities.
• Identify and reduce safety risks involving chemicals, mechanical systems, pumps, conveyors, heated equipment, pressure systems, and electrical equipment.
• Ensure engineering changes are reviewed for safety, quality, maintenance, and operational impact.
• Report project status, risks, savings, and measurable results to management.

Required Qualifications

• Experience or demonstrated capability in process engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, or process improvement.
• Practical understanding of industrial manufacturing and plant-floor operations.
• Ability to work safely around chemicals and mechanical operations.
• Competent in standard computer operations and management software.
• Strong data-analysis, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively with operators, managers, quality personnel, laboratory personnel, maintenance, and executive leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and translate company objectives into measurable results.
• Willingness to work directly on the production floor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, industrial technology, chemistry, manufacturing, or a related technical field.
• Experience with electrocoat, liquid paint, powder coating, pretreatment, or related industrial finishing processes.
• CAD experience for equipment, facility, layout, or process drawings.
• 5S, Lean Manufacturing, or Kaizen experience.
• Experience with capital-equipment evaluation, utility-efficiency projects, and industrial automation or controls.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015, process audits, root-cause analysis, and corrective action.

Performance Measures

• Performance may be evaluated using improvements in:
• Quality, yield, throughput, uptime, and process capability
• Material, chemical, and utility usage
• Rework, scrap, waste, and downtime
• Safety and hazard reduction
• Project completion and documented savings
• Vendor performance and equipment implementation
• Process documentation and standardization
• 5S, Lean, and continuous-improvement participation

 Working Conditions

• Primary work is performed at the Cleveland, Tennessee production facility.  
• Frequent exposure to industrial coating processes, chemicals, mechanical systems, utilities, heated equipment, and moving equipment.
• Required use of personal protective equipment when applicable.
• May require standing, walking, bending, climbing, lifting, or working around elevated or confined industrial areas.
• Occasional extended or nonstandard hours may be required for trials, equipment startup, troubleshooting, or urgent operational needs.
• Occasional travel to vendors, customers, and other ecoat.us facilities may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Disclaimer

ecoat.us provides equal employment opportunities in accordance with company policy and applicable law. This job description summarizes the general nature of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties or qualifications. Duties may be modified as business needs change. Employment with ecoat.us is at-will unless otherwise provided in a written agreement signed by the President.