RPE Extrusion Engineer

Primary Objective

The RPE Extrusion Engineer operates within the Rapid Prototyping & Engineering group of the research and development department. This individual coordinates with team members, leaders, and customers to create and execute new R&D opportunities using the extrusion process. This individual drives innovations within the lab to create new techniques and processes and supports transfer to a production environment. RPE Extrusion Engineer is responsible for improvements, cost, and day-to-day development to meet and exceed internal and external needs and goals. The RPE Extrusion Engineer plans, designs, and completes projects in extrusion manufacturing utilizing six sigma/lean/DMAIC or like methodologies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Drive new development in conjunction with leaders and customers to ensure goals and objectives are met and exceeded.

Sets up and operates extrusion jobs in the RPE lab.

Establish new techniques or technologies to improve output of the extrusion process for a production environment.

Manage goals and budget in conjunction with team members.

Generate and manage project and lab documentation (BOM’s, specification changes, ECO’s, reports, print revisions, fixturing, protocols, etc.).

Engage with internal and external resources and customers to maintain strong customer relationships with dedication to customer program schedules.

Plan and coordinate the selection, procurement, installation, start-up, and qualification of new capital equipment, tooling, and fixtures for medical device manufacturing IQ/OQ

Create and support a culture of mutual respect, trust, accountability, and teamwork.

Develop and establish robust and efficient structures that build a link between Sales, Customer Service, Operations, and the Customer.

Drive a collaborative operating culture within a cross functional team environment that strives to exceed customer expectations.

Gain support for and develop program objectives/deliverables and ensure all groups involved understand customer demands for successful outputs.

Ensure customer and Company requirements are met including cost, quality, timing, and other related aspects of programs.

Participate in continuous improvement efforts to enhance products, processes, and programs.

Comply with all local, state, federal, and SPG safety regulations, policies, and procedures.

Other duties as required by project demands.

Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills, Education and Experience

MS or BS Degree in Engineering or 5 to7 years minimum of related work experience and/or education.

Direct experience with extrusion and polymer processing.

Strong documentation skills with ISO 13485 knowledge preferred.

Minimum 3 years medical device manufacturing and/or extrusion/molding experience.

Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills to identify, gather, and analyze information to develop solutions and resolve problems in a timely manner.

Strong working knowledge of APQP / PPAP, including thermoplastics materials and processing.

Ability to convince/sell internal and external customers.

Strong organizational skills supported by a self-disciplined operating structure.

Superior time management / prioritization skills.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite including but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and other business and database programs.

Understanding of plastic materials and ability to research materials.

Demonstrated ability to identify key issues that impact customer requirements and develop the initiatives to address them in a cost-effective manner. Forward thinking, innovation, and a working understanding of cost and operational impacts are essential.

Effective collaboration skills - Ability to work and communicate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Proven track record of creating, building, and growing a department that consistently delivered measurable results in a customer focused work environment.

Company Competencies

Diversity - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Educates others on the value of diversity; Promotes a harassment-free environment; Builds a diverse workforce.

Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.

Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.

Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.

Job Competencies

Communication

Strong leadership, communication, and collaborative working together skills, along with analytic and strategic planning capabilities.

Consistently clarifies purpose and importance; stresses major points; follows a logical sequence.

Customer Focus

Makes customers and their needs a primary focus.

Develops & sustains productive customer relationships.

Actively seeks information to understand customer’s circumstances, problems, expectations, and needs.

Present program/project level information to customers to build their understanding of issues & capabilities.

Considers how program/project level actions or plans will affect customers.

Responds quickly to meet customer needs & resolves problems.

Assist Engineering & Manufacturing Team Leaders in implementing ways to monitor and evaluate customer concerns, issues and satisfaction and to anticipate customer needs.

Decision Making

Consistently recognizes a wide range of complex specialized issues, problems, or opportunities in own work group, across the organization and with external customers; determines whether action is needed.

Steadily identifies the need for and collects information to better understand issues, problems and opportunities.

Regularly integrates complex information form a wide variety of sources; detects complex trends, associations and cause-effect trends, associations and cause effect relationships.

Consistently creates relevant options for addressing problems/opportunities and achieving desired outcomes.

Formulates clear decision criteria, evaluates options by considering implications and consequences; chooses an effective option.

Consistently implements decisions or initiates action within a reasonable time.

Regularly includes fellow team members across the organization and external customers in the decision-making process as warranted to obtain good information, make the most appropriate decisions, and ensure buy-in and understanding of the resulting decisions.

Physical Demands

Must be able to support the production floor as required. The physical demands may include:

Walking, standing and sitting

Lifting and carrying, pushing and pulling

Reaching overhead, at or below shoulder level

Climbing ladder/stairs, stooping, crouching, kneeling

Gross manipulation and seldom fine manipulation

Driving

Work Environment

Works in an office and manufacturing environment

Occasionally exposed to dust, odors, fumes and noise

Occasional travel required.