Senior Process Technologist – BOPP Films

Taghleef Industries; Terre Haute (IN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Taghleef Industries is seeking a Senior Process Technologist for its BOPP film operations in Terre Haute, Indiana. You will lead technical initiatives to optimize extrusion, MD/TD orientation, heat setting and winding, while partnering with Operations, Quality, Engineering, and R&D to improve product quality and throughput.

You will mentor engineers and technicians, drive Lean and Six Sigma projects, and support new product commercialization.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years in BOPP film manufacturing.
• Minimum 5 years in process technology or manufacturing engineering.
• Extensive hands-on experience with high-speed BOPP lines.

Responsibilities

• Lead process optimization to maximize productivity and profitability.
• Improve machine throughput while maintaining product quality.
• Develop and standardize process parameters for film grades.
• Lead troubleshooting during production upsets and quality deviations.
• Support new product commercialization and scale-up.
• Mentor Process Engineers and Production Engineers.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives.
• Participate in risk assessments and safety processes.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

SPC

DOE

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Polymer Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

FMEA

DOE

Statistical Analysis Tools

Job description

Senior Process Technologist – BOPP Films

Department: Manufacturing / Technology

Reports To: Head of Operations

Position Summary

The Senior Process Technologist is responsible for providing technical leadership to optimize the BOPP film manufacturing process, improve product quality, increase production efficiency, and support new product commercialization. This role serves as the plant's subject matter expert on resin behavior, extrusion, machine direction (MD) and transverse direction (TD) orientation, heat setting, winding, and film performance.

Working closely with Operations, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, R&D, Product Management, and Sales, the position drives continuous improvement, solves complex process issues, and supports manufacturing excellence across the BOPP production lines. Senior technologists are typically expected to lead process optimization, mentor technical staff, and drive innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Process Optimization

• Optimize extrusion and biaxial orientation processes to maximize productivity and profitability.
• Improve machine throughput while maintaining product quality.
• Develop and standardize process parameters for various film grades.
• Analyze production data to identify process improvement opportunities.
• Lead troubleshooting during production upsets and quality deviations.

Product Quality

• Ensure consistent achievement of product specifications including:
• Thickness variation
• Haze
• Gloss
• COF
• Tensile strength
• Seal performance
• Optical clarity
• Reduce customer complaints through root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support internal and external quality audits.

New Product Development

• Support commercialization of new BOPP products.
• Conduct production trials and industrial scale-ups.
• Collaborate with R&D on new resin formulations and additive packages.
• Validate process capability for new products.

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the plant expert on:
• Polypropylene resin technology
• Additives
• Extrusion
• Stretching
• Annealing
• Surface treatment (Corona)
• Winding
• Mentor Process Engineers and Production Engineers.
• Develop technical training materials for operators and engineers.

Manufacturing Excellence

• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Reduce:
• Waste
• Scrap
• Downtime
• Improve startup efficiency and grade change performance.

Lead investigations involving:

• Gauge instability
• Wrinkles
• Telescoping rolls
• Gels
• Static
• Customer complaints

Apply structured problem-solving methodologies including:

• 5 Why
• Fishbone
• FMEA
• SPC
• DOE
• Statistical analysis

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with:

• Manufacturing
• Quality Assurance
• Maintenance
• Supply Chain
• Product Management
• Technical Service

Support customer visits and technical discussions when required.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with EHS policies.
• Support Process Safety Management initiatives.
• Participate in risk assessments and process hazard reviews.
• Promote safe operating practices.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in:
• Chemical Engineering
• Polymer Engineering
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• 10-15+ years in BOPP film manufacturing.
• Minimum 5 years in process technology or manufacturing engineering.
• Extensive hands-on experience with high-speed BOPP lines.
• Experience commissioning or optimizing new production lines is preferred.
• International manufacturing experience is advantageous.

Technical Knowledge

Strong knowledge of:

• Polypropylene resins
• Homo and co-polymer grades
• Additive technology
• Extrusion
• Casting
• Machine Direction Orientation (MDO)
• Heat setting
• Winding systems
• Film characterization
• Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills