Principal Process Engineer

As a Principal Process Engineer, you will plan and develop manufacturing processes and method systems in whole, or in part, to meet stated objectives. You will have the opportunity to lead projects or discipline teams, influencing direction of complex projects; be recognized as an authority in multiple areas, and provide leadership and guidance for colleagues in other departments. 

Major Responsibilities 

• Maintain up to date on manufacturing activities through daily reviews of production records, historical trends, quality results and site communications. Provide support to all site manufacturing areas, tollers and other Covestro manufacturing sites as needed through collaborative efforts to troubleshoot and correct operational and quality deficiencies. Address complex quality issues by employing assistance from Product Development colleagues to conduct analysis aimed at identifying links between defects and formulation or raw materials. As needed, participate or lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations aimed at eliminating repeat failures. Routinely monitor historical material property performance to identify negative (or positive) trends. Develop and propose alterations to manufacturing programs to address your findings. 

• Identify and lead large, multi-staged continuous improvement projects or initiatives aimed at improving the competitiveness of the site. Interface with multiple disciplines at the site or globally to determine requirements and constraints. Develop business case, technical solution(s), deliverables, execution plan and performance metrics. Act as technical expert on matters within your discipline. Document and report progress, challenges and needs. Routinely report progress to all stakeholders. Ensure successful execution and close out of changes. 

• Own production process and manufacturing/quality performance for assigned areas. Develop and execute initiatives and projects aimed at increasing reliability and efficiency. Develop scope, cost estimates and engineering documentation for presentation to site leadership. 

• Evaluate documented or historical equipment entitlement information to determine if equipment is underperforming, resulting in loss of capacity. Lead multi-disciplinary investigations to identify the root causes for capacity loss and implement potential corrective actions. Alternatively, if equipment is not reaching its entitlements due to intentional reasons, lead investigations to identify if there is opportunity to gain additional capacity. 

• Update documented operating procedures as required as part of the Management of Change process for projects in which you are involved. Proactively lead efforts to seek out improved operating processes that improve safety, efficiently and eliminate waste. 

• Act as site subject matter expert (SME) for all relevant compounding processes. Direct Operations and/or Reliability in matters relating to this equipment. Develop and implement best practices and drive continuous improvement. Evaluate and propose new/alternate technologies to improve efficiency, decrease downtime and contribute to higher profit margins. Work globally with technical experts and other manufacturing sites to share and implement identified best practices. 

• Collaborate with the Product Development group on development or modification of product formulations to address plant and customer needs. Lead investigative production trials by identifying potential areas of concern, determining required changes to processing conditions or preparing special reports or guidelines. During trials, monitor the production process, make necessary adjustments or document any important events, document all relevant processing and quality information and present it to the trial author. 

• Investigate new methods and technologies to support the sites digitalization and sustainability initiatives. Develop proposals noting costs and benefits for review by site leadership. Lead site projects aimed at implementing new methods/technologies. Where relevant work with global colleagues to share improvements and support similar projects at other manufacturing sites. 

• Own the development, management, monitoring and improvement of all site product operating parameters for existing products. Work with Product Development and global colleagues on development of operating parameters for new or transferred products. 

• Support the site's "safety first" culture in all aspects of the role. Consult with HSEQ, reliability and other Sr. Engineers to ensure that all regulatory and Covestro mandated safety requirements are met for materials, processes and equipment. 

• Facilitate the transfer of products to the Newark site from other production facilities. Contact the appropriate Production Specialist/Process Engineer at the originating plant(s) to collect relevant information on how the material was processed and any concerns/difficulties that there have been with the product. Establish and document operating parameters, noting all special considerations and requirements. 

• Maintain up to date on the newest manufacturing processes and technologies. Use this information to assist in the development of long-term initiatives for the site. Work in collaboration with other sites and global compounding technology to craft manufacturing and operations best practices. 

• Act as stand in for Engineering Manager when required. 

Basic Qualifications 

• High school diploma or equivalent and a minimum of 20 years of manufacturing experience OR 

• Associates degree and a minimum of 13 years of manufacturing experience OR 

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or related degree and a minimum of 8 years of manufacturing experience OR 

• Master's degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or related degree and a minimum of 5 years of manufacturing experience OR 

• PhD in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or related degree and a minimum of 2 years of manufacturing experience 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Ability to query data using SQL, experience with HTML and/or TypeScript, or experience using Angular to build web applications. 

Knowledge & Skills: 

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage and interact across all levels of the organization. 

• Proven ability to successfully manage multiple projects and priorities. 

• High level of organizational and process/project management skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to be proactive and self-reliant. Curious and passionate about expanding knowledge and capabilities. 

• Proven ability to appropriately communicate technical information both verbally and through correspondence to diverse groups with varying levels of technical understanding. 

• Experience participating in or leading Root Cause Analysis investigations. 

• Familiar with Lean Six Sigma methodologies and tools. LSS Green Belt certification preferred. 

• Demonstrated excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to apply rigorous logic. 

• Proven ability to analyze large data set from multiple sources and develop technical reports summarizing results. 

• Able to perform develop DOE and perform statistical analysis in common software (JMP, Minitab, ext) 

• Preferred previous experience developing 2D drawings in AutoCAD or similar software. 

• Familiar with process controls and HMI interfaces. 

• Previous experience with design, technical support or Process Engineer for extrusion manufacturing process. Preferred Thermoplastic Compounding. 

• Advanced utilization of excel for data analysis. Preferred experience using VBA to create macros in Microsoft Office applications. 

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