Manufacturing Engineering Technician - Operations & Reliability

Comfort Research LLC; Lewisburg (TN); On-site; USD 38,572 - 46,838; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Culture awards

Company holidays

Employee assistance program

Family bonus & extra PTO

Referral bonus

401(k) with company match

Health, dental, vision insurance

Short-term disability

Life Insurance

Product allowances & discounts

Job summary

Comfort Research LLC is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Operations & Reliability to advance equipment performance and facility reliability across EPS bean and shredded foam operations. The role emphasizes data-driven problem solving, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and technical system optimization.

You will partner with Operations, Engineering, and external vendors to improve uptime, reduce costs, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Qualifications

• 8+ years of senior operations maintenance or reliability engineering experience.
• Strong mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic skills.
• Welding capability.
• PLC troubleshooting proficiency.
• Extrusion/foam processing experience preferred.
• Proven root cause analysis experience.
• Experience applying lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methods.
• Ability to read schematics and control diagrams.
• Analytical mindset focused on eliminating repeat failures.
• Ability to collaborate with Engineering and Operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead root cause analysis on equipment downtime and failures.
• Develop and implement reliability improvement strategies for EPS and foam systems.
• Track downtime, OEE, and other key reliability metrics.
• Improve machine performance, cycle times, and reduce waste.
• Collaborate with Engineering on process changes and new equipment.
• Optimize extrusion and foam processing parameters.
• Troubleshoot PLC-based control systems and modify logic.
• Serve as technical escalation for critical equipment issues.
• Develop preventive maintenance into predictive maintenance.
• Train Operations and Maintenance teams on maintenance tasks.
• Support capital projects and interface with contractors.
• Maintain knowledge of facility assets and lifecycle planning.

Skills

Senior operations maintenance

Mechanical systems

Electrical systems

Pneumatic systems

Welding

PLC troubleshooting

Foam extrusion

Root cause analysis

Lean Six Sigma

Reliability engineering

Reading schematics

Analytical thinking

Job description

The Manufacturing Engineering Technician – Operations & Reliability advances equipment performance, process stability, and facility reliability across EPS bean and shredded foam operations. Moving beyond routine maintenance, this role focuses on data‑driven problem solving, root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and technical system optimization. The technician partners closely with Operations, Engineering, and external vendors to improve uptime, reduce cost, and enhance overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Position Details

• Shift Times: 7am to 3:30pm
• Pay Schedule: Weekly

What You’ll Do

• Demonstrate the Core Values of Comfort Research in daily actions, execution of tasks, and interactions with others.
• Lead root cause analysis on equipment failures and recurring downtime issues, and develop and implement reliability improvement strategies for EPS and foam systems.
• Track and improve key reliability metrics, including downtime and OEE.
• Identify and implement improvements to machine performance, cycle time, and waste reduction.
• Partner with Engineering on process changes, upgrades, and new equipment integration.
• Optimize extrusion and foam processing parameters for consistency and efficiency.
• Diagnose complex mechanical, electrical, and controls‑related issues, including PLC‑based systems.
• Modify or support updates to control systems and machine logic.
• Serve as the plant’s technical escalation point for critical equipment issues.
• Design and evolve preventive maintenance programs into predictive/condition‑based maintenance systems.
• Drive continuous improvement of maintenance standards and procedures.
• Train Operations and Maintenance teams on key daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to enhance reliability.
• Support equipment upgrades, installations, and commissioning, and interface with contractors on technical requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of critical facilities equipment and support capital planning and lifecycle management of facility assets.
• HAVE FUN!
• Other duties as assigned by leadership.

Benefits

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) plan that begins accruing upon hire for eligible Ambassadors
• Culture Awards program with opportunities to win cash prizes or extra PTO in addition to company‑wide recognition
• Several paid holidays throughout the year
• Employee Assistance Program
• Growing family bonus & extra PTO for new parents
• Referral Bonus program
• 401(k) program with a generous company match
• A variety of health insurance plans to choose from with company contributions to premiums
• Dental, vision, and other ancillary insurance coverages available
• Company‑paid Short‑Term Disability coverage
• Company‑paid Life Insurance policy
• Free product allowances & product discounts

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in senior operations maintenance, engineering tech, or reliability engineering (engineering tech experience preferred)
• Strong expertise in mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems
• Welding capability
• PLC troubleshooting
• Extrusion/foam processing experience (strongly preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in root cause analysis
• Demonstrated experience applying continuous improvement, Lean, or Six Sigma principles
• Demonstrated experience in equipment reliability or process optimization
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, control diagrams, and technical documentation
• Strong analytical mindset focused on eliminating repeat failures rather than fixing symptoms