Launch Engineer

Flint Hills Resources; Lisle (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Flint Hills Resources is seeking a Launch Engineer to drive transitions from development to production, leading readiness, launch execution, and process validation. You will serve as the technical interface among design engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations to ensure on-time, high-quality launches.

You will lead plant readiness reviews, provide real-time technical support during ramp-up, develop DOE studies, analyze process data, and collaborate with global teams to transfer

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of electro-mechanical product design, manufacturing experience, quality experience and development with proven technical leadership.
• Experience applying structured problem-solving and root cause analysis to resolve technical issues.
• Experience with processes: progressive die stamping, injection molding, die casting, plating, laser welding, soldering, insert molding.
• Strong understanding of engineering tools including FEA, GD&T or Tolerance Analysis.
• Ability to travel internationally to support plant launches up to 40% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant launch readiness reviews and coordinate cross-functional launch readiness activities.
• Provide real-time technical support and communication between design center and manufacturing plants during launch and ramp-up.
• Drive structured problem solving and issue resolution for manufacturing yield, quality, testing, and process-related concerns.
• Develop and work through Design of Experiments (DOE) to isolate process variables and optimize launch performance.
• Perform statistical analysis of process data to identify trends and verify corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Design and Development Engineering to transfer lessons learned into future designs and readiness.

Skills

Tech leadership

Structured problem solving

Communication skills

Travel internationally

Education

Bachelors or higher in Eng.

Tools

FEA

Tolerance Analysis

Job description

As a L aunch Engineer, you will lead the successful transition of new product designs from development into production by driving manufacturing readiness, launch execution, process validation, and issue resolution activities. This role provides technical guidance and leadership during new product launches, helping design centers and manufacturing plants successfully support plants and customers through NPI and production ramp- up .

You will serve as a key technical interface between Product Design Engineering, Development Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, customer-facing teams, and global manufacturing teams. You will help bridge product design knowledge, test knowledge, customer application requirements, and manufacturing process capability so the team can reliably deliver new products on time and with strong launch performance.

Our Team

The L aunch Engineer is part of the Product Development Engineering organization and works closely with Design Engineering, Development Engineering, plant launch teams, manufacturing engineering, quality, testing, ASQE, and global manufacturing stakeholders. The team bridges design intent with manufacturing execution and ensures lessons learned from launch and ramp-up are transferred back into future designs and development processes.

What You Will Do

• Lead plant launch readiness reviews and coordinate cross-functional launch readiness activities.
• Provide real-time technical support and communication between the design center and manufacturing plants during launch and ramp-up.
• Drive structured problem solving and issue resolution for manufacturing yield, quality, testing, and process-related concerns during launch including escalation to management
• Develop and work through Design of Experiments (DOE) to isolate process variables, improve manufacturability, and optimize launch performance.
• Perform statistical analysis of process data to identify trends, isolate issues, evaluate process capability, and verify corrective actions.
• Evaluate dimensional and functional risk when reviewing out-of-specification conditions, deviations, and manufacturing issues.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret manufacturing, quality, and test data to support data-driven decisions.
• Partner with Design Engineering and Development Engineering to transfer lessons learned and improve future product designs, test plans, and manufacturing readiness.
• Support continuous improvement activities focused on First Pass Yield, ramp-up performance, launch KPIs, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Support DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, process validation, and other risk mitigation activities.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5 + years of experience in electro-mechanical product design, manufacturing experience, quality experience and development with proven technical leadership
• Experience applying structured problem-solving and root cause analysis methods to resolve technical issues.
• E xperience with products manufactured using all the following processes: progressive die stamping, injection molding, die casting, plating, laser welding, soldering and insert molding .
• Strong understanding of engineering tools including FEA, GD& T or Tolerance Analysis .
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical information to diverse audiences, including non-technical stakeholders, to drive actionable outcomes.
• Ability to travel internationally to support plant launches, manufacturing readiness reviews, ramp-up activities, and cross-functional issue resolution up to 4 0% of the time .

What Will Put You Ahead

• Experience supporting high-volume manufacturing launches or production ramp- up in a plant environment.
• Experience developing and launching products at Automotive Tier 1 / 2 suppliers
• Experience with DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, APQP, PPAP, process validation, or related launch quality systems.
• Experience creating, executing, and interpreting DOE studies.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis, process capability, yield analysis, and manufacturing data analytics.
• Experience with Measurement System Analysis, Gage R&R, and measurement process validation.
• Experience with connector , interconnect , electronic , electromechanical, or precision manufacturing processes.
• Experience collaborating with global manufacturing teams and cross-regional launch stakeholders.
• Quality or continuous improvement certification, such as ASQ CQE, Six Sigma Green Belt, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience presenting technical findings, launch risks, and recovery plans to cross-functional leadership or customer-facing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute launch-related projects with limited direction while driving timely decisions and action closure.
• Proven track record of problem solving using methods such as 8D, Lean , DMAIC , PDCA etc.

For this role, we anticipate paying $100,000-$150,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location. If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Who We Are

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify. Please click here for additional information. (For Illinois E-Verify information click here , aquí , or tu ).