Process Engineer, PVD Coatings & Nitriding Treatments

Title: Process Engineer, PVD Coatings & Nitriding Treatments

Location: Springfield, OH – employee must live within a 50-mile distance

The HEF Group (HQ: France) is a global leader in the science of tribology for more than 50 years and offers innovative nitriding surface treatments and PVD thin-film coating solutions for corrosion, wear and friction reduction of automotive and industrial machinery components. Today HEF operates 70 facilities throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas, engaged in providing Liquid Nitriding services & chemicals; PVD based coating services; tribology testing services; and supplying engineered sleeve bearings & bushings for demanding industrial applications. For more information about HEF USA, please visit

HEF’s global service jobbing network provides liquid nitriding treatments and PVD coating services to a diverse range of applications in automotive, industrial machinery, aerospace, medical, oil & gas, power generation to name a few. Techniques Surfaces USA (TS USA), a subsidiary of HEF Group, is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to be located in our Springfield, OH facility. The job duties of this position are indicated below:

Process Engineer Job Duties:

Provide operations support through implementation of effective process controls for PVD coating technologies and Nitriding surface treatment’ for TS USA’s Springfield, Ohio facility and other facilities, as assigned.

Lead process development and certification for new PVD coating and Nitriding surface treatment applications for TS USA’s Springfield, Ohio facility and other facilities, as assigned.

Perform root cause investigations and implement operational corrective and preventative actions to solve technical, process and/or material/metallurgical issues related to quality, operations and processes.

Provide operations support through implementation of effective process controls for Liquid Nitriding treatments.

Responsible for surface treatment qualification and certification requirements to maintain operational, engineering and quality compliance. Includes coordinating with metallurgical lab on key assignments.

Develop and manage technical documents that provide engineering requirements for Nitriding & PVD Coating operations.

Provide process related training to production, quality and metallurgical lab staff.

Collaborate with sales and assist operations staff to develop new applications for Liquid Nitriding treatments and PVD Coatings. Includes assistance on cost analysis and designing necessary tooling.

Liaise with HEF Group R&D and Application Engineering organizations across facilities to develop effective working relationships and enhance surface treatment expertise for Springfield, Ohio facility.

Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.

Skills/Qualifications:

4-year science / engineering degree minimum – preferably in Metallurgical engineering or Materials Science.

2-5 years of experience in process engineering as related to metallurgical surface treatments and coatings.

Strong metallurgical understanding of ferrous based materials (steel) and heat treatment essential.

Good understanding of surface engineering technologies as applied to wear-resistant hard coatings is essential.

Knowledge of metallurgical services such as heat treatment, electroplating, nitriding, thermal-spray coatings etc. as applied to automotive or industrial equipment/ component manufacturers is a plus.

Basic knowledge of common industrial and automotive applications required.

Familiarity with IATF 16949 automotive certification and CQI-9 heat treatment assessment desired.

Experience with customizing existing metallurgical processes to meet customer’s specific technical requirements. Demonstrated Application engineering skills is highly desirable.

Proven ability to drive process improvement and change, with results that have impacted the business.

Ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders within the customer’s and parent organization – product & process engineers, operations and sales staff etc.

Must have strong leadership, training and facilitation skills.

Compensation Package:

We offer a competitive salary, commission, excellent health benefits and 401(k) plan, etc.

Base: $75,000 - $80,000 annually – depending upon skills and relevant experience.

Bonus Plan: 10% annually – based upon completion of objectives.

Medical Benefits: Company currently pays ~75% of the insurance premium.

401k: Company matches up to 4% when employee contributes 6%. 401k starts after 12 months of employment.