Compounding Engineer

Join our dynamic team in Bristol, TN, as a Compounding Engineer, where you'll lead innovative compounding engineering projects to elevate safety, product performance, and efficiency. Your passion for continuous improvement and operational excellence will be key to thriving in this role. Collaborate with cross-functional teams and engage directly with leadership to foster strong partnerships and deliver exceptional results. Be the change agent in our pursuit of excellence!

• Must be currently residing in or near Bristol, TN, or willing to relocate to the area.
• Must be willing to travel up to 10% to support other Westlake sites.

Duties and Responsibilities

May include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead the creation, testing and implementation of new material compounds to meet productivity and business objectives.
• Develop standard work and structured processes for evaluating, scaling and implementing compounding changes across multiple production platforms.
• Utilize design of experiments methodologies to ensure complete and efficient evaluation of formulation changes and their impact on key manufacturing requirements.
• Learn from experienced, data-driven experts in your field and develop sound science-based principles while collaborating with a highly functioning operations team
• Engage directly with cross-functional leadership to share knowledge, ideas and strategies for improving our business operations
• Interface with internal and external customers and stakeholders to strategically plan and develop new products and solve a variety of production related issues.
• Develop collaborative relationships with suppliers to stay abreast of new machinery and/or raw materials.
• Improve product performance, cost efficiency, reduce scrap, etc. by utilizing lab equipment and coordinating trials on pilot and production extrusion equipment.
• Analyze data using statistical software and communicate results into easy to understand formats.
• Partner with R&D and Manufacturing in leveraging gated processes to bring new products, concepts and ideas to market.
• Attend trade shows, classes and training seminars to keep skills up to date and learn about new equipment, chemicals, new processes related to our industry.
• Calculate formulation costs and costs of material in extruded parts for management’s evaluation in new and existing parts.
• Assist in capital equipment budget planning and specifying to improve on existing production techniques and to develop new products and production methods.

Education, Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from ABET accredited university in Mechanical, Chemical, Materials or Plastics Engineering.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of functional and HANDS-ON plastics compounding experience preferably within rigid and foamed PVC extrusion processes or other physical/chemical production environments.

Skills

• Exceptional ability to collaboratively solve challenging problems is a must. 
• Demonstrated ability to make data driven decisions as a team to develop PVC compounds to support extrusion plant operations. 
• Must be able to organize data, people and tasks; possess leadership skills; have a strong working knowledge of our products and possess problem-solving skills and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
• Ability to define problems, execute test trials, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and build consensus amongst a diverse technical and operational team. 
• Evidence of effective project management and communication skills to drive technical projects with significant impact on business and operations performance.
• Knowledge of the manufacture, testing, analysis and application of Polymer chemistry.
• Six sigma green/black belt and knowledge of DOE, DMAIC, Fishbone, 5-Why, FMEA, statistical analysis, etc. is preferred.
• Effectively communicate with all levels of employment both verbally and in writing. 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships across a diverse organization are critical to success in this role.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.  May require travel up to 10% of the time.  Incumbent must be able to travel.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate in the office.  The position requires the incumbent travel to the various manufacturing facilities as much as 10% of the time.  The work environment at the facilities can include excessive noise levels, exposure to weather elements, working around or adjacent to moving and mobile equipment and climbing ladders.  Appropriate personal protective equipment including hearing protection, steel toe shoes, safety glasses and/or hard hats may be required while working in a facility.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.