Process Technology Lead

Summary

Leads and develops Teknor Apex's Process Technology Group- Process Engineers, Senior Associates, and Senior R&D Process Engineers - while remaining a hands-on technical contributor on the team's highest-priority process development and continuous improvement work. Directly accountable for the value of the team's project portfolio, ensuring every initiative undertaken is clearly tied to process improvement, ease of deployment, and/or financial benefit.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop the Process Technology Group- Process Engineers, Senior Associates, and Senior R&D Process Engineers - providing day-to-day direction, coaching, performance management, and career development.
• Set individual and team objectives aligned to the group's continuous improvement, cost-savings, and process-capability goals.
• Serve as mentor and escalation point for complex technical and process challenges; act as a training resource for less experienced engineers and associates.
• Portfolio and Value Governance: Own project intake and prioritization for the Process Technology Group; require every proposed initiative to articulate a clear line of sight to process improvement, ease of deployment or scalability across sites, and/or quantified financial benefit before work begins.
• Establish and maintain a lightweight business-case and value-validation gate - problem statement, expected KPI impact, deployment complexity, and financial impact - that all team projects must pass at kickoff and demonstrate at close-out.
• Track and report the realized value of the team's project portfolio, including cost savings, yield and quality improvement, cycle-time reduction, and deployment adoption, to the Global Director of Operational Excellence, the Steering Committee, and plant and business leadership.
• Re-scope or stop projects that cannot demonstrate a credible path to value, protecting the team's capacity for high-impact work.
• Process Analysis and Optimization: Personally lead or co-lead a portfolio of high-priority process improvement, continuous improvement, and new or alternative raw material projects for selected grades and value chains, using lean, Six Sigma (DMAIC/DMADV), root cause analysis, and process modeling methods.
• Conduct hands-on process analysis and optimization: identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, document undefined processes, establish KPIs, and drive projects from the define phase through full implementation.
• Management of Change: Lead Management of Change (MOC) protocols, including related software workflows, for assigned projects.
• Provide technical mentorship and quality review of process documentation, data analysis, and technical reports produced across the team.
• Partner with Manufacturing, R&D, the Digital Management Group, Reliability, and Lean/CI functions to align Process Technology work with Teknor Apex's broader Operational Excellence strategy.
• Best Practices Sharing: Benchmark internal and industry best practices; keep the team current on new methodologies, tools, and technologies.
• Ensure all process improvements and changes comply with safety, environmental, and quality (ISO 9000) standards.
• This description is a summary of principal responsibilities and is not intended to include all duties that may be assigned.

Skills

• Proven ability to lead and develop a multidisciplinary technical team spanning manufacturing and R&D process engineering.
• Strong business acumen; able to translate technical and process work into financial and operational value, and to say no to low-value work.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, polymer and materials science, equipment, and industry standards.
• Proficiency in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma (DMAIC/DMADV), root cause analysis, process modeling, and data analysis and statistical tools.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to convey portfolio value and complex technical findings to senior leadership, plant teams, and external partners.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering financial results, streamlined processes, and successful, scalable deployments.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple simultaneous projects and direct reports across sites.

Experiences

• 8+ years of progressive experience in process engineering, R&D, or continuous improvement within process or discrete manufacturing, including proven experience leading or supervising technical staff.
• Demonstrated experience managing a project portfolio against financial and operational value criteria.
• Plastics Compounding experience Preferred

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.

Certifications

• Six Sigma Black Belt required (or commitment to obtain within one year).
• Root cause analysis certification/training.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential job functions consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards.
• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
• Able to climb ladders/stairs to reach plant equipment as needed.
• Must be able to talk, listen and speak clearly on telephone and MS Teams calls.
• Must be able to wear required safety equipment.