Senior Project Engineer

Plastic Executive Recruiters; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Plastic Executive Recruiters seeks a Senior Project Engineer to lead capital projects from concept to commissioning in polyiso insulation manufacturing. You will drive process improvements, equipment upgrades, and plant standardization across multiple facilities.

You will provide engineering leadership across mechanical, electrical, and process systems, mentor engineers, and apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies to deliver safe, on-time, on-budget project execution while collaborating with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of engineering experience within polyiso insulation, chemical processing, polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam, or a closely related manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading capital projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong background in process optimization, manufacturing improvement, and equipment implementation.
• Hands-on knowledge of foam lamination, chemical metering, mixing, materials handling, and process engineering.
• Experience working with complex manufacturing equipment and process-control systems.
• Strong project management and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
• Experience applying Lean Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, and data-driven problem-solving methodologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively with plant personnel, technical teams, contractors, vendors, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects while balancing technical, financial safety, and operational priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex capital projects from initial concept through design, installation, commissioning, and start-up.
• Drive process optimization and manufacturing improvements across multiple production facilities.
• Provide technical leadership across mechanical, electrical, process, automation, and manufacturing systems.
• Support equipment upgrades, capacity expansions, commercialization projects, automation initiatives, and plant reliability improvements.
• Develop and standardize best practices related to foam lamination, chemical metering, materials handling, mixing, and process control.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, R&D, Maintenance, Quality, EH&S, Supply Chain, and other technical teams.
• Analyze manufacturing data to identify opportunities for improving throughput, quality, efficiency, and reliability.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules, technical specifications, and implementation plans.
• Lead engineering teams, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders throughout project execution.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement principles to manufacturing processes.
• Establish engineering standards, specifications, and best practices that can be leveraged across multiple facilities.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of technical talent.
• Ensure projects meet applicable safety, environmental, quality, regulatory, schedule, and financial requirements.

Skills

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Lean Six Sigma

Data-driven decision making

Manufacturing process optimization

Equipment implementation

Process control systems

Technical leadership

Mentoring engineers

Budget and schedule management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Project Engineer to play a key role in advancing polyiso insulation manufacturing operations. In this senior technical leadership position, you will lead complex capital projects from initial concept through commissioning while driving process optimization, manufacturing standardization, and continuous improvement across multiple facilities.

You will provide engineering expertise across mechanical, electrical, and process systems, supporting equipment upgrades, capacity expansions, commercialization efforts, automation initiatives, and reliability improvements. As a recognized technical leader, you will establish best practices for foam lamination, chemical metering, materials handling, mixing, and process control while partnering with Operations, R&D, Maintenance, Quality, EH&S, and Supply Chain to deliver innovative manufacturing solutions.

Success in this role requires strong project management capabilities, the ability to lead cross-functional teams, and a passion for solving complex manufacturing challenges through data-driven decision-making and Lean Six Sigma methodologies. You will also mentor engineering talent, help develop enterprise-wide engineering standards, and ensure projects are executed safely, on schedule, and within budget.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex capital projects from initial concept and feasibility through design, installation, commissioning, and start-up.
• Drive process optimization and manufacturing improvements across multiple production facilities.
• Provide technical leadership across mechanical, electrical, process, automation, and manufacturing systems.
• Support equipment upgrades, capacity expansions, commercialization projects, automation initiatives, and plant reliability improvements.
• Develop and standardize best practices related to foam lamination, chemical metering, materials handling, mixing, and process control.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, R&D, Maintenance, Quality, EH&S, Supply Chain, and other technical teams.
• Analyze manufacturing data to identify opportunities for improving throughput, quality, efficiency, and reliability.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules, technical specifications, and implementation plans.
• Lead engineering teams, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders throughout project execution.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement principles to manufacturing processes.
• Establish engineering standards, specifications, and best practices that can be leveraged across multiple facilities.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of technical talent.
• Ensure projects meet applicable safety, environmental, quality, regulatory, schedule, and financial requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of engineering experience within polyiso insulation, chemical processing, polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam, or a closely related manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading capital projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong background in process optimization, manufacturing improvement, and equipment implementation.
• Hands-on knowledge of foam lamination, chemical metering, mixing, materials handling, and process engineering.
• Experience working with complex manufacturing equipment and process-control systems.
• Strong project management and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
• Experience applying Lean Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, and data-driven problem-solving methodologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively with plant personnel, technical teams, contractors, vendors, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects while balancing technical, financial safety, and operational priorities.

What You'll Bring

The ideal candidate combines deep manufacturing engineering expertise with strong capital-project leadership and understands how to translate process technology into reliable, scalable production. Experience within polyiso insulation or related polyurethane/polyisocyanurate foam manufacturing is highly valued, particularly candidates with direct experience supporting lamination lines, chemical metering systems, process controls, and major plant improvement initiatives.