Industrial Engineer - Plastic Extrusion & Lean Improvement

PolyPipe LLC; Riverview (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

PolyPipe LLC is seeking a Sr. Industrial Engineer to provide technical leadership and continuous improvement for plastic extrusion operations serving the natural gas distribution market.

You will drive process capability, quality, cost, and delivery improvements while partnering with safety, quality, maintenance, and production teams. The role emphasizes KPI management, Lean methods, and rapid problem solving to reduce variability and increase throughput across multiple shifts and facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (industrial, mechanical, or electrical) with minimum 5 years in manufacturing.
• Plastic extrusion experience preferred.
• Experience with plant safety practices and ergonomic analysis.
• Lean manufacturing experience (Lean Six Green Belt+ preferred).
• Proficient in 2D & 3D CAD (On Shape) and Microsoft Office products.
• Knowledge of AC/DC motors and drives, light electrical troubleshooting and design.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for plastic extrusion manufacturing processes, equipment performance, tooling systems, and process improvement initiatives.
• Assess current manufacturing operations to identify opportunities for improved safety, quality, productivity, material utilization, equipment efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Initiate, develop, and implement technical improvements that improve extrusion process capability, reduce variability, and support consistent product quality.
• Prevent, troubleshoot, and resolve technical problems related to extrusion processes, equipment performance, tooling, material flow, dimensional control, and production efficiency.
• Analyze process data, production metrics, scrap, downtime, throughput, labor utilization, and quality trends to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Manage, develop, monitor, and improve KPIs related to manufacturing efficiency, equipment utilization, scrap reduction, labor productivity, quality performance, and overall operations.
• Lead continuous improvement activities using Lean manufacturing, 5S, standard work, visual management, root cause analysis, and other operational excellence tools.
• Partner with production and maintenance teams to improve equipment efficiencies, reduce downtime, and support preventive maintenance strategies.
• Support tooling design, tooling performance, tooling maintenance, and changeover improvement activities to improve process stability and product quality.
• Develop and implement standardized processes, work instructions, process controls, and best practices to support repeatable and reliable extrusion operations.
• Evaluate process capability and manufacturing capacity to ensure equipment, tooling, labor, and process systems meet current and future requirements.
• Assist in development and improvement of manufacturing layouts, material flow, labor standards, production methods, and workflow efficiency.
• Support new product introductions, process changes, equipment upgrades, tooling modifications, and capital projects as required.
• Work with quality to ensure processes meet product specs, customer requirements, and industry expectations for natural gas distribution products.
• Train and coach operators, technicians, and production leaders on standards, quality, equipment operation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional problem-solving teams focused on safety, product quality, cost, delivery, scrap, and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

CAD (On Shape)

Data analysis

Project management

Troubleshooting extrusion

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

On Shape CAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

PolyPipe LLC is seeking a Sr. Industrial Engineer to provide technical leadership and continuous improvement for plastic extrusion operations serving the natural gas distribution market.

You will drive process capability, quality, cost, and delivery improvements while partnering with safety, quality, maintenance, and production teams. The role emphasizes KPI management, Lean methods, and rapid problem solving to reduce variability and increase throughput across multiple shifts and facilities.