Process Improvement Engineer - Laurel Plant

Milliken and Company; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Milliken and Company, Laurel Plant in Gainesville, FL, seeks a Process Improvement Engineer to advance chemical manufacturing through data-driven projects that boost productivity, quality, and safety. You will scale lab chemistries to pilot and full production while aligning with safety and Responsible Care standards.

Responsibilities include designing productive process changes, leading cross-functional teams, and supporting sales with technical insight and product trials at customer sites.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Chemical Engineering.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and master new technical skills.
• Organizational and analytical skills needed for problem solving.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a high-performance environment with operations and business constraints.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work well with cross-functional teams from all levels.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and control the technical aspects of chemical manufacturing processes to ensure safe operations.
• Design and implement improvements in processes that increase yields and rates on assigned product lines.
• Lead efforts to resolve manufacturing process issues with input from R&D Chemists, Engineers, Maintenance, and Operations personnel.
• Develop and design processes to transition lab-scale chemistries to pilot plant and larger scales effectively.
• Develop and review production tracking systems and drive projects to optimize efficiency and quality using DOE and SPC/SQC.
• Complete Management of Change forms and communicate changes to sales as needed.
• Support the sales team with technical advice, including product trials at the customer’s plant.
• Investigate material non-conformances, including root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Cross-functional teamwork

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Education

BS Chemical Engineering

MS Chemical Engineering

PhD Chemical Engineering

Tools

ChemCAD

ASPEN

LabVIEW

SQL

Excel macros

Job description

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Process Improvement Engineer - Laurel Plant

Date: Sep 29, 2026

Company: Milliken and Company

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leaderwhose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow’s breakthroughs today. Fromindustry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products thatenhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken’s curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook , Instagram and LinkedIn .

POSITION OVERVIEW

The position is located at the Laurel Plant in Gainesville, Florida, and is responsible for improving chemical manufacturing through process-related projects that enhance productivity, quality, and safety. The candidate will also support scaling new chemicals and processes into full-scale production.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Monitor and control the technical aspects of various chemical manufacturing processes to ensure safe operations.
• Learn and comply with established safety policies and procedures. Develop procedures and training for any safety opportunities.
• Design and implement improvements in processes that increase yields and rates on assigned product lines.
• Lead efforts to resolve manufacturing process issues with input from R&D Chemists, Engineers, Maintenance, and Operations personnel.
• Participate in all Process Hazard Analyses and Process Reviews related to assigned processes.
• Develop and design processes to transition lab-scale chemistries to pilot plant and larger scales effectively.
• Develop and review production tracking systems and, using data, drive projects to optimize efficiency and quality. Emphasis on design of experiments and implementation of SPC/SQC systems.
• Complete Management of Change forms for corrections, improvements, or modifications made to processes or equipment. Communicate changes to the sales function to support customer change notification requirements.
• Support the sales team with technical advice, including product trials at the customer’s plant.
• Learn and comply with established Quality Policy and procedures.
• Support Quality Awareness by identification and correction of quality deficiencies through cooperation with internal audit teams and periodic department evaluations.
• Investigate material non-conformances, including root cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions.
• SAFETY – Adhere to all plant safety policies and compliance regulations. Actively participate in the safety process through completing safety audits, participating in safety projects, identifying Site Hazards and contributing to safety improvements, and being an attending member of a safety team. Complete annual safety training as required.
• RESPONSIBLE CARE
• Be aware of the relevant requirements of the Responsible Care Management System (RC-14001) and follow plant procedures to ensure compliance with requirements.
  • Understand the RC-14001 Significant Aspects of your job and help ensure controls are in place to reduce or eliminate negative impacts.
  • Take action and identify and communicate ideas to minimize waste, prevent pollution, and conserve energy.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of the plant environmental, health, safety, security, and Responsible Care performance programs.
• QUALITY – Become familiar with, understand, and comply with Milliken Quality Policy, Standard Operating Procedure(s) (SOPs), relevant ISO 9000 standards, and Company Policies that apply to this position.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• BS, MS, or PhD in Chemical Engineering.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and master new technical skills.
• Organizational and analytical skills needed for problem solving.
• Attention to detail balanced with ability to see the big picture for overall strategy implementation.
• Ability to meet deadlines in a high-performance environment with operations and business constraints.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work well with cross-functional teams from all levels of the organizational structure.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with the use of statistics in process-improvement activities.
• Experience with Chemical Process Simulation Software (ChemCAD, ASPEN, etc.)
• Experience with visual programming – i.e. ladder logic, function block diagrams, sequential function charts, writing code in LabVIEW.
• Experience with high-level programming – i.e., calculating numerical models for transport or reaction systems, writing macros in Excel using Visual Basic, developing SQL code for a database.

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please contact [e-mail].