Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.
Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a division of Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK), is one of North America’s largest manufacturers of PVC pipe and fittings. With 23 manufacturing and distribution facilities, we provide innovative piping solutions for municipal, plumbing, irrigation, and specialty applications, including our industry-leading Certa-Lok® restrained joint systems.
We offer a collaborative culture focused on safety, innovation, and career growth.
• Benefits Effective Day One
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) with 4% Company Match
• Annual Retirement Contribution (ARC)
• Life & AD&D Insurance
• Paid Vacation
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Fitness Reimbursement Program
• Career Growth & Advancement Opportunities
SUMMARY
The Manufacturing Engineer – PVCO is responsible for developing deep expertise in PVCO manufacturing technology and applying that knowledge to optimize processes, ensure product quality, and standardize training and troubleshooting practices. This role serves as the PVCO Subject Matter Expert (SME), providing technical leadership and driving consistency to support the expansion of PVCO capabilities across the organization. The position acts as a key bridge between Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D, ensuring safe, stable, and efficient production while strengthening overall technical capability. During the first two years, the primary focus will be supporting the startup, commissioning, and production ramp-up of the new PVCO facility.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Support the start-up, commissioning and production ramp up of the new PVCO plant
- Serve as the central PVCO Subject Matter Expert, providing technical leadership and guidance across all PVCO operations.
- Develop and apply advanced knowledge of PVCO manufacturing, including extrusion, orientation, cooling, belling, testing, and packaging systems
- Monitor and optimize manufacturing processes to improve quality, yield, efficiency, and reliability
- Identify and implement process improvements, waste reduction strategies, and cost-saving initiatives
- Support equipment setup, validation, calibration, and troubleshooting
- Lead root cause analyses (RCA) and implement corrective/preventive actions (CAPA)
- Create and maintain clear work instructions, process documentation, and troubleshooting guides
- Support and deliver technical training for operators, technicians, and supervisors
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new materials, tooling, and process innovations
- Support capital projects including equipment upgrades, capacity expansion, and technology improvements
- Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and environmental standards
- Support the standardization and deployment of PVCO processes across multiple facilities
- Provide technical support for PVCO expansion initiatives, including startup support, commissioning and knowledge transfer
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Chemical, Materials/Polymer, Industrial, or related discipline)
- 3–7 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience
- Experience in plastics extrusion, pipe manufacturing, or polymer processing preferred
- Strong understanding of process optimization and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, SPC)
- Demonstrated ability or potential to act as a technical leader or subject Matter Expert (SME) in a specialized manufacturing process preferred
- Proven analytical and problem-solving capability
- Ability to develop clear technical documentation and operator-focused work instructions
- Hands-on mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills
- Proficiency with CAD and manufacturing data analysis tools
- Familiarity with automation systems, PLC interfaces, and process controls preferred
- Experience supporting or leading capital projects is a plus
- Willingness and ability to travel as needed (initial training in Canada)
WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Majority of work performed on the manufacturing floor, with some office-based engineering and documentation tasks
- Requires regular interaction with production floor staff
- Exposure to production noise, moving equipment, heat; must comply with all PPE and safety requirements
- Up to 25% - 75% travel (domestic and international) to support PVCO operations, including training, equipment installation supplier engagement and cross site collaboration
- International travel may be required to support the expansion of PVCO technology and implementation of new manufacturing capabilities
Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.
If you are an active Westlake employee (or an employee of any Westlake affiliates), please do not apply here. You will apply via the Jobs Hub application in Workday.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Chemical, Materials/Polymer, Industrial, or related)
- 3-7 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience
- Strong understanding of process optimization and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, SPC)
- Proven analytical and problem-solving capability
- Ability to develop clear technical documentation and operator-focused work instructions
- Hands-on mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills
- Proficiency with CAD and manufacturing data analysis tools
- Experience in plastics extrusion, pipe manufacturing, or polymer processing
- Familiarity with automation systems, PLC interfaces, and process controls
- Experience supporting or leading capital projects
- Willingness and ability to travel as needed (initial training in Canada)
Westlake Chemical Corporation Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Westlake Chemical Corporation and has not been reviewed or approved by Westlake Chemical Corporation.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests the 401(k) with company matching is a strong element, and certain groups have noncontributory defined‑benefit pensions. This combination signals solid retirement support.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Feedback suggests incentive programs include quarterly or annual bonuses that supplement base pay. These recurring programs indicate reliable variable compensation opportunities.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid vacation, sick pay, and nine paid holidays are promoted alongside caregiver support programs. This breadth covers common time‑off needs.
Westlake Chemical Corporation Insights
What We Do
Westlake Chemical (NYSE: WLK) is a quality manufacturer and dependable global supplier of petrochemicals, plastics and building products. Our mission is to serve our clients by enhancing daily life through the products and services we provide, which in turn make life better for people every day. Employing approximately 9,500 people, Westlake operates from 36 locations in North America, 11 in Europe and 6 in Asia.
