Senior Powder Coating Engineer

Metheion Technology & Engineering Consulting; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Metheion Technology & Engineering Consulting seeks an engineer to lead the development and launch of a new automated electrostatic powder coating line for high-volume EV battery component production. You will own process definition, equipment specification, and cross-functional integration from prep to cure, with a focus on quality, throughput, and uptime.

You will oversee procurement, commissioning, and validation activities, including HIPOT testing and process controls, to ensure a stable,

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with industrial powder coating systems, specifically electrostatic powder coating or e-coating processes.
• Practical understanding of coating principles, surface preparation, masking, and oven curing operations.
• Understanding of chromate baths or similar pre-cleaning surface-prep requirements for powder-coating.
• 3+ years of hands-on process development experience in a production setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, installation, and commissioning of a new automated electrostatic powder coating line for high-volume manufacturing.
• Develop and optimize coating parameters, including surface prep, masking, electrostatic application, and curing profiles.
• Define equipment specifications and manufacturing requirements to meet throughput and coating thickness targets.
• Manage capital equipment acquisition, CERs, vendor selection, procurement, and equipment acceptance.
• Establish process controls and validation methods, including HIPOT testing for dielectric protection.
• Coordinate with other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration and part cleanliness during handoffs.
• Define production process controls, inspection requirements, and quality documentation for production rollout.
• Develop SOPs and parameter documentation for operators.
• Troubleshoot defects, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor performance and drive improvements in yield, scrap, cycle times, and uptime.
• Qualify the coating process through production trials to meet quality and throughput.

Skills

Powder coating

Electrostatic coating

Process development

Capital equipment procurement

Quality testing HIPOT

Manufacturing processes

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Infor Syteline (ERP)

Job description

Role description

You will lead the development and launch of a new powder-coating process for a production line dedicated to electric-vehicle battery cooling plates. You will oversee the full industrialization of the electrostatic powder coating process, from defining the manufacturing process and selecting the appropriate equipment to managing procurement and commissioning the system.

The production line must be ready for manufacturing within an aggressive 10–12-month timeline. You will develop the coating process parameters from scratch, including surface preparation, masking methods, electrostatic powder application, and oven curing. The goal is to establish a stable, repeatable process that consistently meets the coating quality, thickness, and electrical insulation requirements of high-volume production. Once the line is operational, you will take on the role of technical expert, monitoring process performance, troubleshooting production issues, improving yield, and driving continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, installation, and commissioning of a new automated electrostatic powder coating application line for high-volume manufacturing.
• Develop and optimize powder coating application process parameters, including chromate bath surface preparation, cost-effective masking techniques, electrostatic powder application, and oven-curing profiles.
• Define equipment specifications and manufacturing requirements to meet production throughput, specific coating thickness targets, and electrical isolation reliability.
• Manage capital equipment acquisition for the powder coating line and curing ovens, including Capital Expenditure Requests (CERs), vendor selection, procurement, and equipment acceptance.
• Establish process controls and validation methods to ensure consistent dielectric protection, specifically setting up and overseeing high-potential (HIPOT) electrical testing for powder coating.
• Coordinate with the Aluminum Brazing Engineers to ensure seamless process integration and part cleanliness during component handoffs between the brazing furnace and the powder coating line.
• Define manufacturing process controls, inspection requirements, and quality documentation required to bring the new powder coating line into production.
• Develop and document standard operating procedures and process parameters for production operators.
• Troubleshoot powder coating defects (overspray, debris, or voids), identify root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor production performance and drive improvements in yield, scrap rates, cycle times, and equipment uptime.
• Qualify the coating process through production trials and verify that the line consistently meets product quality and throughput requirements.

Main requirements

• Hands‑on experience with industrial powder coating systems, specifically electrostatic powder coating or e‑coating processes.
• Practical understanding of powder coating principles, surface preparation techniques, masking, and oven curing operations.
• Understanding of pre‑cleaning and chemical surface‑preparation requirements (chromate baths or similar) for powder‑coating applications.
• 3+ years of hands‑on process development experience in a production setting.

Other requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or similar.

Nice to have, but not mandatory

• Experience in defining and optimizing automated powder coating parameters.
• Experience optimizing powder coating oven curing profiles for high-volume production.
• Familiarity with powder coating quality validation, like high-potential (HIPOT) electrical testing and coating thickness measurements.
• Previous experience in the automotive, aerospace, or electric vehicle (EV) sectors.
• Experience overseeing large capital equipment purchases, managing vendors, and running equipment run-offs.
• Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) or Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software like Infor Syteline or similar.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.