Process Engineer: On‑Floor Innovator & Reliability Leader

Vanguard Soap; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanguard Soap is seeking an Engineer to optimize manufacturing processes, improve equipment reliability, and drive plant performance on a hands-on, leadership-focused trajectory. This role operates on the production floor, partnering with Maintenance, Operations and Quality to resolve issues and drive rapid, data-driven improvements.

The successful candidate will own core manufacturing systems, including reaction vessels, spray drying towers, boilers, pumps, and wastewater systems, and will

Qualifications

• 3–7+ years of engineering experience in manufacturing
• Experience in a plant environment with direct production interaction
• Proven success improving equipment reliability and process performance
• Experience with process documentation and SOPs
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis skills

Responsibilities

• Partner with Operations, Maintenance and Quality to drive plant performance
• Maintain a strong, visible presence on the production floor
• Lead and support maintenance technicians and operators in resolving equipment and process issues
• Act as a first responder to downtime events, driving rapid root cause identification and resolution
• Identify, prioritize and lead continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing processes
• Analyze production data to improve yield, throughput, and cost efficiency
• Implement Lean, Six Sigma and other process improvement methodologies
• Standardize best practices across lines, shifts and product types
• Improve reliability and performance of key plant systems: reaction vessels, spray drying towers, boilers, pumps, wastewater systems
• Develop, maintain, and validate SOPs and work instructions
• Train plant personnel on updated procedures and best practices
• Lead structured root cause analysis for equipment failures, CAPA implementation
• Track and report on improvement effectiveness
• Support plant capital planning and execution
• Lead or contribute to equipment selection, installation and startup
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget
• Ensure safety, compliance and environmental stewardship in all activities
• Collaborate with Quality, Supply Chain and R&D as needed

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Process engineering

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Job description

Vanguard Soap is seeking an Engineer to optimize manufacturing processes, improve equipment reliability, and drive plant performance on a hands-on, leadership-focused trajectory. This role operates on the production floor, partnering with Maintenance, Operations and Quality to resolve issues and drive rapid, data-driven improvements.

The successful candidate will own core manufacturing systems, including reaction vessels, spray drying towers, boilers, pumps, and wastewater systems, and will