Manufacturing Engineer - PVA

The Manufacturing Engineer owns the production machinery in the Paceline PVA department. You will run, maintain and improve the equipment that keeps production on schedule, and set the standards others work to.

This is a hands-on engineering role with technical leadership responsibility. You will write the work instructions and maintenance plans, lead troubleshooting efforts, and drive continuous improvement across department operations.

Key responsibilities

Equipment operation and ownership

• Serve as the technical owner of all Paceline PVA production machinery, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operation.
• Set up, run and adjust equipment to meet production schedules, quality specifications and throughput targets.
• Act as the escalation point for operators and technicians on equipment issues.

Work instructions and standards

• Develop, write and maintain standard work instructions (SWIs), operating procedures and setup/changeover guides.
• Keep documentation current as equipment, materials or processes change.
• Train operators and technicians on procedures and verify they are followed.

Maintenance planning

• Build and manage preventive and predictive maintenance plans for all department equipment.
• Schedule maintenance to minimize production impact, and track completion against plan.
• Manage critical spare parts and coordinate with vendors and OEMs on service, parts and upgrades.

Troubleshooting

• Lead diagnosis of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and control-system faults.
• Perform root cause analysis (5 Whys, fishbone, 8D) on recurring failures and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Track downtime and failure data to target the biggest losses.

Optimization and continuous improvement

• Monitor equipment performance (OEE, uptime, scrap, cycle time) and identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen and 5S methods.
• Review department operations end to end, from material flow and staffing to changeovers and layout, and recommend improvements.
• Evaluate and support new equipment, upgrades and process changes from specification through commissioning.

Leadership and collaboration

• Mentor and provide technical direction to operators, technicians and maintenance staff.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Engineering and EHS to meet safety, quality and delivery goals.
• Champion a safety-first culture, including lockout/tagout and machine guarding compliance.

Required qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience running, maintaining and troubleshooting complex manufacturing machinery.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor or Fusion.
• Proven ability to write clear work instructions, SOPs and maintenance procedures.
• Experience building and managing preventive maintenance programs.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems.
• Working knowledge of PLCs, HMIs and automated control systems.
• Experience applying root cause analysis and continuous improvement methods.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, electrical schematics and P&IDs.
• Experience leading or directing the work of technicians or operators.
• Strong communication skills, written and verbal.
• Working knowledge of OSHA safety standards, including lockout/tagout.
• Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical, Electromechanical or Manufacturing Engineering.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience handling thin films, including winding, unwinding, slitting and web tension control.
• Experience with textile and knitting machines, including setup, maintenance and troubleshooting.
• PLC programming experience in Structured Text (IEC 61131-3), preferably with TwinCAT or CODESYS.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher.
• Experience with CMMS platforms for maintenance scheduling and tracking.
• Experience with PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) or similar polymer, film or chemical processing equipment.
• Experience commissioning new equipment or production lines.
• Familiarity with ERP/MES systems.

Success in the first year looks like

• Current, approved work instructions for every major piece of department equipment.
• A preventive maintenance plan in place and tracked, with on-time completion above target.
• Measurable reduction in unplanned downtime and improvement in OEE.
• At least two completed continuous improvement projects with documented results.

Working conditions

• Manufacturing floor environment with exposure to noise, heat, moving machinery and chemicals; PPE required.
• Ability to stand, walk, climb ladders and lift up to 50 lb.
• Occasional off-shift, weekend or on-call support for critical equipment issues.

Compensation and benefits

[Salary range, benefits and any shift differential — required in California job postings.]

[Company name] is an equal opportunity employer.