Senior Extrusion Technician, R&D

Stryker; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Stryker is seeking a Senior Extrusion Technician, R&D, to support the development of innovative medical devices by producing precision plastic tubing used in Stryker products. You will independently set up and operate extrusion equipment, troubleshoot processes, and work with engineers to meet design requirements.

You will monitor processes, perform inspections, and apply polymer rheology knowledge to optimize extrusion development.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 3+ years of work experience in extrusion processes (preferably medical extrusion), or relevant technical training.
• Ability to lift 50 lbs. routinely; ability to lift 75 lbs. occasionally.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical documents.
• Experience working with Lot History Records.

Responsibilities

• Independently set up, operate, troubleshoot, and tear down single-screw extrusion systems, including line clearance, string-up, tooling selection, and achieving required concentricity and dimensional tolerances.
• Partner with R&D engineers, scientists, and technicians to develop and optimize extrusion processes for new products, providing technical expertise and recommendations throughout development.
• Monitor extrusion processes and perform product, tooling, and material inspections, including tubing measurements, tooling inspections, resin preparation, moisture analysis, and packaging.
• Troubleshoot process and equipment issues, perform root cause analysis, recommend corrective actions, and develop temperature profiles and other process parameters to meet design requirements.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, technical documentation, Lot History Records, routers, and travelers while maintaining compliance with cGMP and applicable quality system requirements.
• Apply knowledge of polymer rheology, plastic materials, basic screw design, tooling and die calculations, and manufacturing processes to support extrusion development and process optimization.
• Work independently with minimal supervision, while sharing knowledge, best practices, and practical process insights with fellow Extrusion Technicians and cross-functional partners.

Skills

Extrusion processes

Medical extrusion

Engineering drawings

Lot History Records

Rheology basics

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Location: 4870 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT

Summary

As the Senior Extrusion Technician, R&D, you will support the development of innovative medical devices by producing precision plastic tubing used in Stryker products. You will independently set up and operate extrusion equipment, troubleshoot complex processes, and partner closely with engineers and technicians to meet new product design requirements. This role calls for a solid foundation in extrusion, sound judgment, and a commitment to maintaining tight tolerances and high-quality standards that ultimately support better patient outcomes.

What You Will Do

• Independently set up, operate, troubleshoot, and tear down single-screw extrusion systems, including line clearance, string-up, tooling selection, and achieving required concentricity and dimensional tolerances.
• Partner with R&D engineers, scientists, and technicians to develop and optimize extrusion processes for new products, providing technical expertise and recommendations throughout development.
• Monitor extrusion processes and perform product, tooling, and material inspections, including tubing measurements, tooling inspections, resin preparation, moisture analysis, and packaging.
• Troubleshoot process and equipment issues, perform root cause analysis, recommend corrective actions, and develop temperature profiles and other process parameters to meet design requirements.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, technical documentation, Lot History Records, routers, and travelers while maintaining compliance with cGMP and applicable quality system requirements.
• Apply knowledge of polymer rheology, plastic materials, basic screw design, tooling and die calculations, and manufacturing processes to support extrusion development and process optimization.
• Work independently with minimal supervision, while sharing knowledge, best practices, and practical process insights with fellow Extrusion Technicians and cross-functional partners.

What You Need

Required:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 3+ years of work experience in extrusion processes (preferably medical extrusion), or relevant technical training
• Ability to lift 50 lbs. routinely; ability to lift 75 lbs. occasionally
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical documents
• Experience working with Lot History Records

Preferred

• Knowledge of crosshead helicoid design
• Basic rheology and polymer science understanding

$29.42 - $40.69 USD Hourly

Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.