Production Engineer Senior Specialist

United States·Tbwk Employee - HopkinsvilleNormalsenior

Manufacturing & ProductionProduction Engineer

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Requirements Summary

Develop, maintain, and optimize E-Coat, pretreatment, and related paint processes. Establish, document, and control operating parameters including pH, conductivity, bath solids, voltage, temperature,

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Manufacturing & ProductionProduction Engineer

General Summary: Provide engineering ownership and onsite support for all E-Coat, pretreatment, paint process, and associated environmental systems within the manufacturing operation. Responsible for process design, development, optimization, production readiness, coating quality, chemical systems management, equipment improvement, new model support, environmental compliance, and continuous improvement. The position ensures safe, stable, compliant, and cost-effective paint operations that meet customer and company requirements.

Essential Job Functions:

Develop, maintain, and optimize E-Coat, pretreatment, and related paint processes.
Establish, document, and control operating parameters including pH, conductivity, bath solids, voltage, temperature, pressure, flow rates, and chemical concentrations.
Monitor process capability, production performance, and key process indicators; identify abnormal trends and implement effective countermeasures.
Plan and conduct process trials to improve stability, throughput, quality, cost, and environmental performance.
Develop standardized process settings, control plans, inspection criteria, and operating documentation.
Oversee E-Coat bath chemistry, pretreatment chemistry, chemical additions, and bath maintenance activities.
Analyze titration, laboratory, supplier, and process data to maintain chemical systems within established standards.
Coordinate with chemical suppliers regarding product performance, technical service, replenishment, and corrective action.
Develop bath maintenance and replenishment strategies that maximize bath life, stability, and production availability.
Lead activities to reduce chemical consumption, waste, and total operating cost without compromising quality.
Monitor and improve coating thickness, adhesion, cure, corrosion resistance, coverage, and appearance performance.
Investigate coating concerns including poor coverage, runs or sags, dirt contamination, blisters, craters, adhesion loss, and corrosion failures.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective action using A3, PDCA, 8-Step, TBBP, and other approved problem-solving methodologies.
Coordinate containment, corrective action, verification, and recurrence prevention with Production, Quality, Maintenance, suppliers, and customers.
Establish process checks and reaction plans that prevent defects from reaching downstream operations or customers.
Support operation and performance of wastewater treatment, reverse osmosis, filtration, and related environmental systems.
Support compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and Toyota Boshoku environmental requirements.
Maintain required processes, chemical, waste, permitting, and environmental records in coordination with Environmental, Health and Safety personnel.
Support environmental audits, inspections, reporting, and corrective actions.
Identify and implement improvements that reduce water use, waste generation, emissions, chemical use, and environmental risk.
Provide technical support for E-Coat system and other specialized equipment within TBWK.
Diagnose process and equipment abnormalities and coordinate recovery activities with Maintenance, Production, suppliers, contractors, and support groups.
Develop equipment specifications, technical requirements, scopes of work.
Lead or support capital improvement projects, equipment installation, commissioning, run-off, and plant sign-off.
Partner with Maintenance to improve equipment reliability, spare parts strategy, preventive maintenance, and abnormality response.
Support new product launches, model changes, capacity changes, and process modifications.
Plan and coordinate trials, validation activities, production readiness reviews, and launch follow-up.
Validate equipment readiness, and standard documentation before production approval.
Coordinate cross-functional issue resolution and communicate launch risks, countermeasures, ownership, and timing.
Apply Toyota Production System (TPS) principles to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, process stability, and environmental performance.
Lead data-based problem solving and continuous improvement activities across all areas of TBWK equipment and paint operations.
Work with Production, Quality, Maintenance, Environmental, Purchasing, Engineering, suppliers, and regional support groups to drive sustainable improvements.
Train plant personnel on process standards, chemical controls, troubleshooting, quality requirements, and implemented changes.
Maintain positive working relationships with internal customers, suppliers, contractors, and Toyota Boshoku support organizations.
Perform other duties and support activities required to maintain safe and reliable operations.
Follow safety, quality, confidentiality, and information security policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications/Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.

Greater than six (6) years of relevant manufacturing, process, or production engineering experience.
Experience with paint systems, E-Coat operations, pretreatment, surface treatment, corrosion protection, or related chemical manufacturing processes is preferred.
Experience with wastewater treatment, reverse osmosis, or industrial environmental systems is preferred.
Automotive manufacturing experience is preferred.
Experience leading technical problem solving, continuous improvement, equipment installation, or launch activities is preferred.

Strong working knowledge of coating technology, chemical process control, titration methods, surface preparation, and corrosion protection principles.
Ability to interpret laboratory results, process trends, statistical data, equipment conditions, and product quality results.
Ability to diagnose problems to true root cause and implement effective, verified countermeasures.
Working knowledge of industrial equipment, utilities, controls, drawings, process flow, and manufacturing operations.
Knowledge of environmental compliance responsibilities associated with chemicals, wastewater, hazardous materials, and waste management.
Ability to develop technical specifications, standardized work, operating standards, control plans, and project documentation.
Ability to effectively facilitate cross-functional problem solving and project execution.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural manufacturing environment and manage multiple priorities with tight deadlines.
Ability to maintain on-call flexibility to support abnormal conditions and production recovery.
Ability to work a fixed or rotating shift schedule, including daily or weekend overtime as business conditions require.
Strong organization, time management, planning, data analysis, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Hands-on self-starter with sound judgment, strong work ethic, and the ability to perform responsibilities with minimal supervision.
Ability to use Toyota Production System (TPS) and approved problem-solving methodologies to improve safety, quality, 4S, cost, efficiency, and environmental performance.

Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
Japanese, Spanish, or Portuguese language capability is helpful but not required.

Solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and related computer-based systems.
Experience with statistical process control, quality systems, process trending, and data visualization tools.
AutoCAD proficiency is preferred; CATIA or other engineering design software experience is helpful.
Experience with manufacturing execution, process monitoring, PLC, or equipment control systems is preferred.