Process Engineer

Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a Westlake company (NYSE:WLK), is the second-largest polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings manufacturer in North America.
Westlake Pipe & Fittings supplies gasketed, solvent weld and restrained joint pipes and a wide range of fittings for a diverse list of markets including municipal water and sewer, plumbing, water well, pool and spa, and agricultural and turf irrigation.
Westlake Pipe & Fittings is an industry leader in product development with Certa-Lok® spline-lock technology and product systems that are focused on building A Better Foundation.
To learn more, visit the website at WestlakePipe.
com SUMMARY The Process Engineer will be heavily involved in the daily operations of the facility and is a key member of the plant leadership team.
Lead the manufacturing program for plant output optimization, down-time reduction, scrap reduction, process control, and material usage optimization.
Provide problem solving consultation, develop engineering procedures, and support for capital projects.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Support operations by leading and directing technical activities necessary to solve problems encountered in any part of the facility.
Develop & maintain process guidelines (SOP/SOC) and training programs for the integration of new products and systems.
Conduct data analysis of scrap, downtime, line rates, and material usage.
Prepare charts, and reports to assist the plant team to make data driven decisions to improve results.
Continually strive to reduce process variation (improve process capability) to ensure consistent product quality and adherence to manufacturing and agency standards.
Lead cost reduction initiatives through materials, product, and process improvements.
Facilitate brainstorming sessions and develop action plans for the Profit Improvement Process (PIP).
Examples include activities to reduce utilities consumption, cycle times, scrap, downtime, material usage variance, and direct labor.
Utilize a variety of continuous improvement tools such as: Lean Manufacturing/Toyota Production Systems, Six-Sigma, 5S/6S, Total Productive Maintenance, Kaizen Events, Value Stream Maps, DOEs, FMEAs, Advanced Problem-Solving, etc.
Participate in updating of manufacturing standards as a result of performance improvements.
Develop work cell layouts in an effort to optimize material flow and support 5S and visual management initiatives.
Initiate new equipment and technologies to maintain the company’s competitive advantage; including detailed scope definitions with the plant (capabilities, throughput, and equipment controls including function block diagrams, process parameters, and data acquisition requirements), RFQ documents, and execution timeline plans (including facility preparation, installation, HSE, training, production ramp-up, etc.
).
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY Participate and lead others in near miss, hazard, and incident reporting.
Participate and/or cooperate with the JHSC to improve safety.
Perform housekeeping activities as required.
Comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Workplace Safety Insurance Act (WSI Act), and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
Comply with Health and Safety rules, policies and procedures of the division.
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS Ensure own conduct and that of direct reports is in accordance with NAPCO Code of Business Ethics and the Workplace Discrimination/Harassment Policy Communicate with employees, plant and supervisory staff as required.
Provide training and development for direct reports, as required Build participative working relationships with plant and management personnel.
Comply with company rules, regulations and policies as stated in the Employee Relations Manual and/or Employee Handbook.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS B.
S.
degree (or equivalent) in Electrical, Mechanical, or Material Science Engineering, plus 3-10 years of experience of manufacturing work experience.
Strong preference for increasing experience: High volume, continuous manufacturing environment; Process Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering / CI skills and expertise.
A results-oriented problem solver with an analytical approach.
Excellent verbal & written communication.
A hands-on individual with the ability drive results through others.
Six sigma green/black belt and knowledge of DOE preferred.
Knowledge of mistake-proofing sensor technology and PLC programming is desirable.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch.
WORK ENVIRONMENT This position has a transitioning work environment.
Office/computer, manufacturing plant, travel by auto/air/mass-transit and outdoor environments are normal.
The noise level in the plant environment is usually high, as normal for a manufacturing plant.
Some of the work in the operating units may require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, steel toe shoes, fall protection, hard hats, etc.