Materials Process Engineer - Polymers & Innovation

Socket.dev; Plymouth (MN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Placon is seeking a Materials Process Engineer to tackle manufacturing challenges, develop innovative materials, and lead continuous improvement efforts across engineering, innovation, and production teams.

The role focuses on thermoforming materials, data-driven decision making, and collaboration with Design and Engineering to support new product development and tooling requirements. A strong polymers/materials science background is essential.

Qualifications

• Strong technical understanding of polymer materials, processing methods, and testing techniques.
• Experience collecting and analyzing data to support process decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute plans to qualify new materials and products while demonstrating process capability.
• Investigate, test, and establish specifications for new materials used in thermoforming processes, including mono- and multilayer coextrusions, laminations, and coatings.
• Collect, analyze, and present data-driven recommendations to support decision-making.
• Support capital equipment projects by becoming a subject matter expert on materials, processes, and equipment.
• Create work instructions, process documentation, and training materials for production teams.
• Collaborate with Design and Engineering teams to support new product development and tooling requirements.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including specifications and technical data sheets.
• Establish and review product standards for material usage, labor, and equipment performance.
• Support process development and continuous improvement initiatives within ISO quality systems.
• Prepare capital expenditure proposals and support project approval processes.
• Research and evaluate next-generation materials and manufacturing technologies.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field

Tools

Oracle

InfinityQS

QMS software

ERP systems

MS Office

Job description

Placon is seeking a Materials Process Engineer to tackle manufacturing challenges, develop innovative materials, and lead continuous improvement efforts across engineering, innovation, and production teams.

The role focuses on thermoforming materials, data-driven decision making, and collaboration with Design and Engineering to support new product development and tooling requirements. A strong polymers/materials science background is essential.