Materials Process Engineer - Thermoforming & Polymers

Placon Corporation; Plymouth (MN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Next-generation materials and products

Advanced manufacturing technologies

Cross-functional collaboration with R&

Capital projects influence

Growth-focused environment

Competitive compensation

Impact on product quality and profit

Job summary

Placon Corporation is seeking a Materials Process Engineer to develop and qualify new materials for thermoforming, drive process improvements, and support capital projects. You will partner across Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Production to ensure material specifications and processes meet product goals.

The role emphasizes data-driven decision making, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and maintaining technical documentation to support manufacturing excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Strong technical understanding of polymer materials, processing methods, and testing techniques.
• Experience collecting and analyzing data to support process and product decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams.

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.

Skills

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Written and verbal communication

Organizational skills

Troubleshooting

Time management

Attention to detail

Education

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

Tools

ERP systems

QMS software

Oracle

InfinityQS

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Placon Corporation is seeking a Materials Process Engineer to develop and qualify new materials for thermoforming, drive process improvements, and support capital projects. You will partner across Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Production to ensure material specifications and processes meet product goals.

The role emphasizes data-driven decision making, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and maintaining technical documentation to support manufacturing excellence.