Wood Products Process Engineer — Lean & Quality Leader

Hunter Recruiting; Ellisville (MS); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter Recruiting seeks a Process Engineer to support three wood products production lines. The role partners with Operations, R&D, and Quality to optimize processes, improve quality, and raise throughput. You will own line trials and lead process-improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities include safety-first process changes, driving lean initiatives, and applying SPC/DOE/FMEA methodologies. You will communicate findings and drive cost efficiencies across multi-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Wood Science, or related field.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a wood products manufacturing environment.
• Experience with compression molding and/or hydraulic presses.
• Experience planning and executing production line trials.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles.
• Proficiency with Excel and Minitab or similar data analysis tools.
• Experience with root cause analysis and corrective action processes.
• Working knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC).
• Familiarity with Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Knowledge of Design of Experiments (DOE) and process optimization techniques.

Responsibilities

• Prioritize safety in daily activities and when implementing process changes.
• Champion quality improvement initiatives across production lines.
• Monitor and optimize critical customer physical and aesthetic product properties.
• Own the planning and execution of production line trials in collaboration with R&D.
• Monitor process KPIs and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, and throughput.
• Drive continuous improvement and lean manufacturing initiatives.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions related to quality and process defects.
• Identify and implement cost reduction opportunities.
• Analyze production data to identify process trends and improvement opportunities.
• Support process optimization through SPC, DOE, FMEA, and other engineering methodologies.
• Lead cross-functional projects involving Operations, Quality, R&D, and other internal teams.
• Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting support for manufacturing processes.
• Communicate findings, recommendations, and project results to all levels of the organization.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Root cause analysis

Data-driven decision making

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Wood Science, or related field

Tools

Minitab

DOE software

Job description

Hunter Recruiting seeks a Process Engineer to support three wood products production lines. The role partners with Operations, R&D, and Quality to optimize processes, improve quality, and raise throughput. You will own line trials and lead process-improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities include safety-first process changes, driving lean initiatives, and applying SPC/DOE/FMEA methodologies. You will communicate findings and drive cost efficiencies across multi-functional teams.