Processing Engineer

Role details

The Processing Engineer owns day-to-day process performance on assigned dip lines. The role sets and verifies process parameters within approved limits, investigates process and product deviations to root cause, and executes trials and improvement projects that raise first-pass yield and reduce material and utility cost per thousand gloves. The Processing Engineer reports to the Technical Manager and coordinates daily with Production, Quality, and Maintenance.

Duties and Responsibilities

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Process control

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• Hold assigned lines within approved process windows for compound, coagulant, dip tank chemistry, leach, chlorination, and oven profile.
• Verify setpoints against the current specification at shift start and after every changeover; correct or escalate deviations before product is affected.
• Trend key parameters — temperature, concentration, line speed, dwell time — and act on drift before it reaches a specification limit.
• Propose changes to process windows through change control with supporting data. Do not run unapproved conditions on production product.

Line monitoring and troubleshooting

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• Lead first-line troubleshooting of process-related defects and yield loss; drive to root cause rather than symptomatic adjustment.
• Separate process causes from mechanical and material causes, and hand off to Maintenance or Quality with the supporting data attached.
• Report abnormalities to the Technical Manager and Operations Manager with parameter, magnitude, duration, and product affected.
• Support line startup, shutdown, and recovery from downtime, including verification that the line is back within specification before product moves forward.

Product quality and QMS

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• Review in-process and finished-product results — physical properties, watertight, dimensions, defect rate by category — and act on adverse trends.
• Investigate the process contribution to nonconformances and complaints; author the process portion of investigations and CAPAs in the QMS and close them by the assigned due date.
• Execute and document validation and requalification activities (IQ/OQ/PQ, process capability) as assigned.
• Keep work instructions and process specifications matched to what the line actually runs; initiate a document change when they diverge.

Process improvement and trials

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• Design, run, and document line trials with a stated hypothesis, control condition, sample plan, and acceptance criteria defined before the trial starts.
• Quantify results in quality and cost terms: yield, defect rate by category, gas, water, and electric per thousand gloves, and material usage.
• Issue a written trial summary with a recommendation — adopt, reject, or repeat — not data alone.
• Support scale-up of new formulations and new product introduction onto production lines.

Technical support to production

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• Give line leads and operators clear direction on process parameters and correct operating practice.
• Train production personnel on new and revised procedures, and verify understanding rather than attendance.
• Attend shift handover and production meetings; present process status in a form the shift can act on.

Safety, environmental, and regulatory

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• Follow all site safety requirements, including lockout/tagout, hot work, confined space entry, and chemical handling for chlorine, caustic, acids, and solvents.
• Review every trial and process change for safety and environmental impact before execution.
• Report hazards, near misses, and unsafe conditions immediately.
• Work in compliance with the AN quality system, applicable FDA 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 13485 requirements, ASTM product standards, and site environmental permit conditions.

Qualifications

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Required

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• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline; or an associate degree plus four years of process engineering experience in manufacturing.
• Two or more years in a continuous or high-volume manufacturing process role.
• Working knowledge of applied statistics for production data: variation, capability, and sampling.
• Proficiency in Excel, including building and interpreting trend charts from process data.
• Able to write a technical summary a non-technical reader can act on.

Preferred

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• Latex or polymer dispersion processing; dip-forming experience.
• Regulated manufacturing (medical device, pharmaceutical, or food) with formal document and change control.
• Data historian experience (AVEVA/Wonderware, PI) and basic SQL.
• Familiarity with ASTM D6319 and D412 and with AQL sampling per ANSI/ASQ Z1.4.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent DOE and SPC training.

Competencies

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• Works from data, states the uncertainty, and does not over-claim a result.
• Carries investigations through to root cause and closes documentation on time.
• Communicates directly and plainly with operators, maintenance, and management.
• Runs several parallel projects and holds commitment dates.

Working Conditions

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• Manufacturing environment that is not temperature controlled; radiant heat near ovens and seasonal cold near dock doors.
• Routine exposure to process chemicals including chlorine, caustic, acids, and latex compounds. Respiratory protection may be required in designated areas.
• Required PPE: safety glasses with side shields, hearing protection in posted areas, chemical-resistant gloves, and safety-toe footwear. Task-specific PPE as directed.
• Frequent standing and walking on concrete for the majority of an 8-hour shift, including repeated stair climbing between levels.
• Occasional lifting and carrying up to 50 lb; occasional work on elevated platforms and ladders.
• Overtime and off-shift response required for trials, startups, and escalations. Overtime is compensated in accordance with applicable law.
• This description lists the principal duties of the position. It is not an exhaustive list, and other duties may be assigned.