Senior Process Engineer – Ceramics & Advanced Materials Manufacturing

Confidential Recruiting Partners; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Recruiting Partners is seeking a Senior Process Engineer for an onsite ceramics manufacturing environment in Knoxville, TN. You will own the transition of processes from R&D into full-scale production, including equipment specification, installation oversight, commissioning, validation, and scale-up.

You will partner across maintenance, quality, engineering, and supply chain to drive continuous improvement, optimize yield and throughput, and manage capital projects from scoping

Qualifications

• 7+ years of process-engineering experience in manufacturing.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Materials, Mechanical, Chemical, or related).
• Strong process expertise in developing, optimizing, troubleshooting, and scaling manufacturing processes.
• Experience managing equipment specification, vendor coordination, FAT/SAT, installation, and commissioning.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex manufacturing and equipment issues using data-driven methods.

Responsibilities

• Prepare detailed analyses and communicate findings to leadership.
• Track production performance, downtime, scrap, efficiency, and KPIs.
• Develop and update work instructions, quality documentation, and operator training materials.
• Identify and implement improvements to increase yield, throughput, efficiency, and equipment reliability.
• Transition new processes from R&D into production with stable, repeatable operations.
• Lead root cause analyses for process and equipment issues using data-driven methods.
• Collaborate with maintenance, quality, engineering, and supply chain to optimize processes.
• Manage capital projects from scoping to acceptance.

Skills

Seven+ years process engineering

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven problem solving

Capital project management

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Our client is seeking a Senior Process Engineer who will be responsible for establishing, maintaining, and optimizing manufacturing processes within a technical ceramics production environment. This role owns the transition of new processes from R&D into full-scale manufacturing, including equipment specification, installation oversight, commissioning, validation, and process scale-up. The engineer will partner cross-functionally to execute strategic initiatives, improve operational performance, and drive continuous improvement across the facility.

Onsite | No Visa Sponsorship | No Relocation Assistance

Travel: Occasional vendor, supplier, or equipment-manufacturer visits as needed

Responsibilities:

• Executive Reporting - Prepare detailed analyses and communicate findings to leadership.
• Production Performance Monitoring - Track output, downtime, scrap, efficiency, and other key performance indicators.
• Documentation & Training - Develop and update work instructions, quality documentation, and operator training materials.
• Process Optimization - Identify and implement improvements that increase yield, throughput, efficiency, and equipment reliability.
• Manufacturing Scale-Up - Transition new processes from R&D into production, ensuring stable, repeatable, and efficient operations.
• Root Cause Analysis - Lead structured problem-solving activities for complex process and equipment issues using data-driven methodologies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Work closely with maintenance, quality, engineering, and supply chain teams to optimize production processes.
• Capital Project Management - Manage capital projects from scoping and justification through procurement, installation, commissioning, and acceptance.
• Vendor & Supplier Interface - Serve as the primary technical interface with raw-material suppliers and equipment manufacturers from specification through acceptance.
• Process Development - Develop ceramic powder formulations and ready-to-press materials, including batching, mixing, milling, spray-drying, calcining, and related operations.
• Commissioning & Validation - Lead Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, and process validation for new equipment and processes.

Qualifications (Must-Haves)

• Experience level minimum of 7 years of process-engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Engineering degree Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Materials, Mechanical, Chemical, or related discipline)
• Process expertise strong track record developing, optimizing, troubleshooting, and scaling manufacturing processes.
• Capital Projects - Experience managing equipment specification, vendor coordination, FAT/SAT, installation, and commissioning.
• Root Cause Analysis - Demonstrated ability to solve complex manufacturing and equipment issues using data-driven methods.

Preferred Skills:

• Thermal & Forming Processes - Experience with dry-pressing, hot-pressing, sintering, and ceramic machining.
• Advanced Materials Background - Powder metallurgy, glass/ceramics, battery materials, or other adjacent fields.
• Ceramics Manufacturing - Experience in technical ceramics, powder processing, or similar advanced materials industries.
• Data & Controls - Familiarity with SPC tools, MES/SCADA systems, PLC/HMI troubleshooting, and manufacturing data analysis.