Process Development Engineer

Knauf North America; Illinois; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision – day one

401(k) with 100% match up to 6%

Paid parental leave

Paid family leave

Paid Holidays

Vacation

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Knauf Insulation North America is seeking a Process Development Engineer to drive the development, optimization, and standardization of white wool manufacturing processes across KINA plants. You will serve as SME, applying CI methodology to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality while supporting new plant builds and upgrades.

You will lead cross-functional initiatives, define process standards, and work with OEMs to elevate spinner performance and fiber quality.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related field)
• Six Sigma Certification required; Green Belt minimum, Black Belt preferred
• Minimum 5 years in glass mineral wool manufacturing, hot and cold-end processes
• Proven project management and CI initiative experience

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain standards for white wool processes across plants
• Optimize hot end and cold end processes; improve spinner/former technologies
• Lead trials, DOEs, data collection, and actionable insights
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to scale new processes
• Provide hands-on plant support to resolve production challenges
• Lead cross-plant troubleshooting and supplier collaborations
• Publish monthly dashboards with performance trends and improvements

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Minitab

MES systems

OsiPI

Data analysis

CI methodology

Education

Engineering degree

Six Sigma Certification

Tools

MS Office

MES systems

OsiPI

Job description

Knauf Insulation North America is the world's fastest-growing insulation manufacturer. We are wholly committed to the conservation of the environment while also sustainably developing and manufacturing a comprehensive line of acoustical fiberglass insulation for residential, commercial, industrial, marine, OEM and metal building applications, using post-consumer recycled materials.

We welcome passionate and creative individuals who thrive in an entrepreneurial, collaborative and ever-changing environment.

Our benefits go beyond just providing coverage.

We’re committed to the whole you – your health, wealth, peace of mind, self and community.

Our benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision – starting on day one!
• Virtual Medical Services
• Fertility and adoption benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (earn 100% matching on your first 6% contribution and fully vested day one)
• Paid parental leave
• Paid family leave
• Company provided Salary Continuance (Short- term Disability)
• Company paid life insurance
• Paid Holidays
• Vacation
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Plus, more!

Growth opportunities are available!

About the Role:

The Process Development Engineer is responsible for driving the development, optimization, and standardization of white wool manufacturing processes and product quality across KINA plants, serving as the divisional Subject Matter Expert (SME) in this area. This role emphasizes leveraging engineering knowledge, white wool manufacturing experience, and Continuous Improvement (CI) methodology to maximize efficiency, overcome technical challenges, foster innovation, and share best practices. The position involves setting performance standards, supporting new and existing plant operations, and leading cross-functional initiatives to deliver measurable results in output, quality, and cost reduction.

Responsibilities

Technical Responsibilities

• Define and maintain standards for white wool processes, including hot end (spinner, fiberizer) and cold end (forming, milling, transport, additive application, and collaborate on packaging).
• Optimize hot end processes, collaborate to enhance spinner designs, improve Fiberizer/forming technologies, and optimize energy and material consumption.
• Implement Lean, Six Sigma, and CI methodologies to drive process capability, efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Lead trials to optimize processes, manage DOEs (Designs of Experiment), ensure robust data collection, and deliver actionable insights.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to design and scale up new processes, enhance process control systems, and improve reliability and output consistency.

Process Support and Development

• Provide hands-on technical support to KINA plants, focusing on resolving production challenges and closing gaps in raw materials, forming, and packaging.
• Convene and lead cross-plant troubleshooting for chronic losses using structured problem-solving tools.
• Collaborate with OEMs and suppliers to improve spinner performance, fiber quality, and equipment life while reducing variability.
• Link field performance and quality data with production processes, ensuring feedback loops improve manufacturing outcomes and customer satisfaction.
• Support new plant construction, upgrades, and modifications, contributing deep expertise to commissioning and start-up activities.

Capability Building and Continuous Improvement

• Deliver a structured training program to develop white wool SMEs in each plant, ensuring ongoing local expertise.
• Share best practices and governance mechanisms across KINA and KI plants to drive performance alignment.
• Document all developments to protect intellectual property, maintain standards, and update training materials.

Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement

• Present recommendations and findings to KINA management and key stakeholders.
• Publish monthly dashboards outlining performance trends, root causes, and process improvement opportunities.

Qualifications

Education

• Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or a related technical field) is required.
• Six Sigma Certification is required; Green Belt minimum, Black Belt preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in glass mineral wool manufacturing, focusing on both hot and cold-end processes.
• Proven track record of project management and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Specific experience with white wool insulation production is strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expertise in hot-end (spinner/fiberizer) and cold-end process development, including forming, and milling operations.
• Strong knowledge of lean manufacturing (SQDCP, Kata, Kaizen, LPA, DOE, and SPC).
• Proven ability to lead Six Sigma projects with annualized savings or measurable yield/output gains.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills with the ability to influence and train cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with Minitab, MES systems, MS Office Suite, and data historian tools like OsiPI for process insights.
• Strong project management skills, including cost-benefit analysis, milestone tracking, and stakeholder follow-up.

Other Requirements

• Must be detail-oriented and results-driven, committed to enhancing customer satisfaction through process excellence.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Requires 40% travel, with some periods of higher travel during start-ups, equipment commissioning, or major projects.
• Must occasionally lift up to 50 lbs. and work in varying environmental conditions (dust/temperature) while in plants.

It is the policy of Knauf Insulation to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic prohibited by applicable law.