For Spring 2022 Semester

As an Extrusion Engineer Co-Op on the Manufacturing Team, you will learn the end-to-end production process of our plastic and composite filament materials - from filament extrusion, drying, to finished good packaging. In this role, you will interface with material scientists, scale-up engineers, and industry professionals to continuously improve, optimize, and scale our manufacturing operations. You will report to the Engineering Manager and make a solid addition to our growing advanced manufacturing team. This role is critical to ensure that Markforged maintains high-quality standards as we expand our industry-leading 3D printable plastic and composite materials portfolio. This is an exciting opportunity to be hands-on and drive innovation on the ground level to make an impact in the rapidly growing field of additive manufacturing.

Possibilities Abound for our Co-Ops!

• Collaborate in the production process on existing metal filament products - from pellet feedstock to finished good
• Constantly seek and drive continuous improvement initiatives that make a positive impact to yield, uptime, cost, quality, and production attainment metrics
• Explore the transition of new metal materials from the NPI development phases, through manufacturing pilot, and into sustained production launch 
• Stay up-to-date with the latest industry technology, and become a subject-matter-expert (SME) on metal compounding/extrusion processes as it relates to mass manufacturing  
• Participate in meetings with manufacturing leadership and learn to communicate a clear future vision with a solid understanding of major risks/opportunities
• Regularly update PFMEA, control plans, and troubleshooting guides to mitigate quality and safety risks and minimize unplanned production downtime 
• Review / produce high-quality process documentation (SOPs / WIs) and conduct necessary training with relevant production staff across shifts
• Participate in kaizen projects based on operator feedback and interactions with production staff 
• Work with Reliability Team to establish proactive condition-based maintenance protocols for all production equipment and assets  
• Collaborate with Data Systems Team to set up the data model and production dashboards that enable accurate KPI tracking/reporting 
• Maintain functional alignment with the Materials, Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Product team to ensure success throughout a project or product life-cycle. 
• Execute verification/validation test plans, manage engineering change records (ECO), and coordinate production cut-ins. 
• Experience working with high volume extrusion lines, single/twin-screw extruders, and physical/mechanical testing of polymers (TGA, moisture analysis, tensile properties, rheology)

Important Note: 

Although we list out what we generally look for, we are very likely missing other attributes and skills that you have that could make you a great fit but are not currently listed. Research has shown this especially applies to women and other marginalized groups, who tend to apply if they check 100% of every box, versus men who apply if they hit roughly 60%. The point we’re getting at, it doesn’t hurt to take a chance and apply!

What you have:

• Passion for manufacturing and continuous improvement
• Working toward a Bachelor's degree in a related engineering discipline (Materials Science, Plastics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Polymer Science)
• Bonus if have one previous internship or relevant work experience in a manufacturing environment
• Has had exposure to manufacturing principles such as Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, equipment user manuals, and engineering schematics 
• Strong analytical skills in Statistical Process Control SPC (Minitab / Excel)
• Knowledge of root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies, such as A3 or 8D
• 3D modeling experience in SolidWorks a plus
• Experience working with manufacturing SCADA systems and business MRP/ERP is a plus
• Familiarity with QMS systems, OSHA compliance, and ISO 9001 standards
• Strong verbal and written English communication skills - can convey complex technical topics in simple terms 
• Not afraid to challenge the status quo and can escalate issues when appropriate