Process Engineer - Pellet Pressing

Role details

Department: Engineering

About The Role

Riverbend Energetics is expanding its pressed-pellet production capability to meet growing customer demand, and this role will own that effort end to end. This is a build-and-drive position — you will serve as Riverbend's technical authority on compaction, leading equipment selection through sustained production. You do not need prior explosives experience; we will train you on energetic materials handling within our established safety program. What we cannot train is deep expertise in powder behavior and compaction, and that is what we are looking for.

Key Responsibilities

Line Standup

• Specify, source, and justify pressing equipment, tooling, feed systems, and support equipment; manage installation, commissioning, and vendor relationships - Execute Installation, Operational, and Performance Qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) and author the associated protocols - Partner with Facilities and ES&H on line layout, grounding and static control, containment, and operational siting under Riverbend's explosives safety program

Process Ownership

• Define and document the process: work instructions, travelers, control plans, and validated parameter windows - Manage tooling as a program — specification, sourcing, incoming inspection, wear tracking, changeover procedures, and replacement lifecycle - Establish in-process and final controls for dimensional, density, and integrity attributes; execute capability studies and sustain SPC - Troubleshoot production-stopping issues including weight and density variation, feed inconsistency, sticking and picking, tooling wear, and mechanical faults - Build and maintain the preventive maintenance program and spare parts strategy

Production and Business Performance

• Drive yield, throughput, scrap reduction, and cycle time improvement against defined cost targets - Train and qualify press operators; build sufficient bench depth so the line does not depend on any single individual - Support first article inspection, source inspection, and customer, prime contractor, and DCMA audits - Partner with Quality on nonconformance disposition, root cause analysis, and CAPA

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Chemical, Mechanical, Materials, or Industrial Engineering — or equivalent experience in a compaction-intensive manufacturing role
• 5+ years in regulated manufacturing running or supporting compression, tableting, or compaction operations (pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, powder metallurgy, ceramics, catalyst, or similar)
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with rotary or single-station presses, including setup, tooling changeover, troubleshooting, and teardown and rebuild
• Working command of powder flow, blend uniformity, granulation, and compressibility, and how each factor drives finished compact quality
• Experience authoring and executing qualification protocols and manufacturing documentation in an audited environment
• Proficiency with statistical process tools including capability analysis, DOE, SPC, and Gage R&R
• Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR
• 120.62) — U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident; visa sponsorship is not available
• Must be able to qualify as an employee possessor of explosive materials under ATF regulations (27 CFR Part 555)
• Must be able to work on-site at our Alton, IL facility

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with reactive, hygroscopic, moisture-sensitive, or otherwise environmentally sensitive blends where environmental control is integral to the process
• Background in a materially accountable operation (DEA-registered, controlled substance, precious metal, or similar) where complete mass reconciliation is required
• Prior experience standing up or significantly expanding a production line, cell, or facility
• Depth in a formal quality management system — cGMP, ISO 9001, or AS9100
• Powder metallurgy or technical ceramics pressing background
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Meaningful ownership: you will shape and drive this capability with direct access to leadership and a short path from recommendation to decision
• Long product lifecycles and a stable U.S. defense customer base
• A collaborative, 150-person environment where individual contributions are visible and valued

Key Requirements

• Deep Powder Compaction & Press Operations Expertise: The job description explicitly states 'What we cannot train is deep expertise in powder behavior and compaction' — this is the non-negotiable technical core of the role. Riverbend is building a pressed-pellet line from scratch and needs someone who can serve as the technical authority from day one, not someone learning compaction fundamentals on the job.
• Production Line Standup & Qualification Experience: This is explicitly a build-and-drive role — the candidate must own equipment selection, installation, IQ/OQ/PQ execution, and documentation authorship to bring a new pressing line to sustained production. Riverbend cannot afford to learn what qualification protocols look like; they need someone who has done this before and can lead it independently.
• Statistical Process Control & Quantitative Process Ownership: Energetic pellets are safety-critical components where dimensional, density, and integrity attributes must be tightly controlled and demonstrably capable. Riverbend needs an engineer who not only sets up controls but sustains them — using capability analysis, SPC, and DOE to drive yield and catch drift before it becomes a nonconformance or customer escape.
• Environmentally Sensitive or Reactive Material Handling in a Controlled Environment: Energetic materials used in detonators and CAD/PAD systems are often moisture-sensitive, electrostatically sensitive, or otherwise reactive — handling errors can degrade product performance or create safety hazards. While Riverbend will train on explosives-specific protocols, a candidate who already understands environmental controls (humidity, temperature, static) as integral to process integrity — not as an afterthought — will ramp faster and make fewer consequential errors.
• Operator Development & Process Documentation Discipline: Riverbend is a 150-person company where this engineer will be the sole technical authority on pressed-pellet production. The job description explicitly calls out building bench depth so the line does not depend on any single individual — meaning the engineer must codify their own expertise into training programs and airtight documentation that others can execute reliably under audit scrutiny.

About Riverbend Energetics

Riverbend Energetics is a defense and industrial manufacturer based in Alton, IL. We develop and produce energetic materials and specialty munitions for U.S. defense and allied customers. Our mission-critical work demands precision, safety, and a commitment to excellence.