Product Development Engineer

Job Summary:

Join our dynamic team in Columbus, OH, as a Product Development Engineer, where you'll lead innovative product development engineering projects to bring new technologies and products to market. Your passion for nurturing new ideas and products 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 Columbus, OH, 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:

• Generate Requirements: Interface with customers and stakeholders to plan and align new product development with market needs and Westlake's competitive goals.
• Investigate Solutions: Build relationships with suppliers for insights on new machinery and materials to enhance product offerings.
• Engage in Drafting and Design: Utilize CAD tools to draft and design new product profiles and processes, ensuring adherence to drafting and specification standards for production-ready documentation.
• Trial Solutions: Lead the creation and testing of new products, using lab equipment and coordinating trials to improve product performance and address production issues.
• Collect Data: Enhance cost efficiency and reduce scrap, backed by thorough data collection and analysis during product development.
• Share Results: Analyze data with statistical software and communicate findings clearly to facilitate decision-making across teams.
• Create a Robust Manufacturing Process: Design and document manufacturing processes that are efficient, scalable, and adhere to quality standards.
• Commercialize the Product: Collaborate with sales, marketing, and manufacturing to navigate gated processes, moving products from concept to market readiness to include final product drawings and installation instructions.
• Launch: Stay current with industry trends through trade shows and training, and support the introduction of new products to the market.
• Assist in Capital Planning: Contribute to budget planning for capital equipment to refine production techniques for new product launches.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Job Qualifications:

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.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree (B.S.) from ABET accredited university in Mechanical, Chemical, Materials or Plastics Engineering.
• Experience:  Minimum 3 to 5 years of functional and HANDS-ON product design and development experience with demonstrated expertise in brining new products from concept to commercialization.
• 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.
• Communication:  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.

Required Skills:

• Problem-Solving: Must demonstrate exceptional collaborative problem-solving capabilities.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proven ability to make team-based, data-driven decisions for product and process optimization.
• Technical Proficiency: A solid understanding of our products, with the ability to create detailed 3D CAD drawings for product design and development.
• Analytical Testing: Skilled in executing test trials, collecting data, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions.
• Project Management: Demonstrated effectiveness in managing complex technical projects with significant operational impact and the ability to organize tasks and people effectively.
• Communication: Strong communication skills at all levels to build consensus across diverse technical and operational teams

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.