Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials

MANN+HUMMEL; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

MANN+HUMMEL in Gastonia, NC seeks a Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials to act as a technical expert in raw materials, performance, and durability. You will develop material standards, support innovation initiatives, and guide material selection across product teams.

This onsite role collaborates with product development, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, customers, suppliers, and external research organizations to ensure materials meet performance, quality, and business needs.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in materials engineering in a large, fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience with material qualification and durability validation.
• Travel up to 20% within the United States and Mexico as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and implement technical standards for designated raw material groups.
• Define material specifications and qualification requirements for new products and applications.
• Evaluate materials for production use while ensuring performance and durability.
• Provide technical authority on material decisions, including rejection of non-conforming materials.
• Develop and improve engineering procedures, test methods, and technical instructions.
• Support advanced development projects through evaluation of new materials and technologies.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Advanced Development teams to identify material solutions.
• Contribute to innovation roadmaps and technology strategies aligned with business objectives.

Skills

Materials engineering

Polymers and filtration materials

Characterization techniques

Engineering analysis tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science/Engineering or related

Master's/PhD preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Role Summary

MANN+HUMMEL is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials to serve as a technical expert in raw materials, material performance, and durability. This role is responsible for developing and implementing material standards, supporting innovation initiatives, managing technical knowledge, and providing strategic guidance on material selection and application. The successful candidate will work closely with product development, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, customers, suppliers, and external research organizations to ensure materials meet performance, quality, and business requirements. As a key member of the engineering team, the Lead Engineer - Filtration Materials will drive continuous improvement, support new product development, evaluate emerging technologies, and contribute to MANN+HUMMEL's innovation and intellectual property strategies.

This is an Onsite position based at our location in Gastonia, NC.

• No Visa sponsorships are available for this position.

Job Responsibilities

Material Standards & Technical Leadership

• Develop, maintain, and implement technical standards for designated raw material groups
• Define material specifications and qualification requirements for new products and applications
• Evaluate and approve materials for production use while ensuring compliance with performance and durability standards
• Provide technical authority on material-related decisions, including authority to reject materials that do not meet requirements
• Develop and continuously improve engineering procedures, test methods, and technical instructions

Innovation & Product Development

• Support advanced development projects through evaluation of new materials and technologies
• Collaborate with Product Management and Advanced Development teams to identify innovative material solutions
• Contribute to innovation roadmaps and technology strategies aligned with business objectives
• Participate in the planning, execution, and implementation of innovation projects

Intellectual Property & Technical Research

• Support patent strategy development and assess invention disclosures
• Monitor internal and competitive patent activities and emerging material technologies
• Identify opportunities for innovation and intellectual property development

Knowledge Management

• Maintain and update engineering handbooks, material databases, and technical documentation
• Capture project lessons learned and incorporate findings into engineering standards and best practices
• Facilitate knowledge transfer across engineering, manufacturing, and global teams
• Ensure technical information is accessible and available to stakeholders worldwide

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide technical support to manufacturing, quality, purchasing, and supplier teams regarding material-related issues
• Participate in root cause investigations, failure analysis, and corrective action activities
• Support customer and supplier technical discussions, negotiations, and specification reviews
• Collaborate with global engineering teams to standardize materials and best practices

External Representation

• Represent MANN+HUMMEL at technical conferences, industry events, trade shows, and exhibitions
• Build and maintain relationships with universities, research institutions, suppliers, and industry organizations
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations to customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline with minimum of 5 years of experience in materials engineering and raw materials in a large fast-paced manufacturing environment OR a Master's / Doctorate degree with a minimum of 2 years' experience
• Experience with material qualification (wet laid, non-wovens, etc.), performance testing, and durability validation
• Proven experience supporting and taking product from development to manufacturing
• Familiarity with material specifications, industry standards, and testing methodologies
• The ability to travel up to 20% to other MANN+HUMMEL plants as well as to customer and supplier sites within the United States and Mexico as needed

Preferred Education, Experience & Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of polymers, composites, filter media, and filtration materials
• Master's / Doctorate degree preferred
• Knowledge of material characterization techniques and failure analysis methods
• Experience with material selection and fitness-for-use assessments
• Understanding of manufacturing processes and material-process interactions
• Proficiency in engineering analysis tools and Microsoft Office applications