Fiber Extrusion Engineering Manager

Job Description

POSITION TITLE: Fiber Extrusion Engineering Manager

POSITION OBJECTIVE:

Designs and develops manufacturing processes, tooling, and fixtures to create and meet daily production schedules while enhancing productivity, efficiency, and product quality. Ensures that extrusion process results meet specifications through collaboration with engineering, quality, product management, and Extrusion Technicians. Leads the development and implementation of new equipment, tools, materials, and processes to increase quality and/or efficiency and the development and implementation of new cable constructions.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:

Production Management:

Develops processes to ensure output meets design, quality, and quantity requirements.

Manages the full cycle of extrusion operations including startup, shutdown, production, and changeover.

Responsible for production planning/scheduling factoring in cable demand, line speeds, setup times, and labor capacity.

Operates the extrusion line as needed to meet production requirements.

Reviews work orders, specifications, and instructions to determine materials, procedures, tools, components, extruder settings, and adjustments required for production.

Assess and manage waste; plan/implement efficient production lot sizes to minimize raw material scrap and align raw material lot sizes with finished good production quantity.

Develops process Key Productivity Indicators (KPI’s). Performs product and process analysis to gather KPI data; Monitor, track, and report key reliability and machine efficiency metrics to identify opportunities for equipment and process improvements.

Maintains compliance with Clearfield Engineering Standards.

Supports Company initiatives in support of the Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and other regulatory requirements.

Collaborates with product management, engineering, Quality Assurance (QA), and general Clearfield operations.

Troubleshooting and Maintenance

Troubleshoots issues involving products, equipment, and processes by identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions and/or engineering change requests.

Maintains line equipment and tooling, consumables, critical spares, and preventative maintenance schedules to protect the business from unplanned failures and down time.

Develop, document, and train on cable extrusion best practices

Establish best practices in cable extrusion, including production processes/controls, operating procedures, safety standards, quality control, and traceability.

Create supporting documentation and work instructions

Perform training and monitor results for conformance to standards.

Manage and support Extrusion Technicians.

Direct management of Extrusion Technicians.

Move materials in a way that ensures traceability and prevents contamination.

Load payoffs and hoppers with appropriate material.

Clean and install tooling.

Leads the development and implementation of new equipment, tools, materials, and processes to increase quality and/or efficiency and the development and implementation of new cable constructions.

Identify areas for continuous improvement, develop concepts, and perform feasibility studies. Prepare project plans, timelines, budgets, and ROI analysis.

Manage raw materials, capacity planning, resources, equipment, tooling, facilities, and verification/validation activities for projects.

Identify, design, develop, implement, and test machinery, tools, materials, or equipment required for projects.

Coordinate the manufacturing launch of new products and processes.

Monitor results for conformance to standards.

COMPETENCIES:

Achievement Orientation- Focusing efforts on achieving high quality results consistent with the organization’s standards.

o Sets highly challenging, but attainable, goals for own organizational area.

o Assesses group performance against goals to identify areas for improvement.

o Improves inefficient/ineffective work processes.

o Uses positive motivational approaches, tailored to diverse individuals and groups, to help staff improve performance and maximize results achieved.

o Encourages responsible risk taking to achieve high quality results.

Analytical Thinking- Analyzing and synthesizing information to understand issues, identify options, and support sound decision making.

o Analyzes complex situations, breaking each into its constituent parts.

o Evaluates alternative causes or ways of interpreting complex information.

o Identifies connections between situations that are not obviously related.

o Identifies gaps in information and makes assumptions in order to continue the analysis and/or take action.

Resilience- Staying energized, productive and focused in the face of challenges, ambiguity, change or strenuous demands, creating a supportive environment that helps others become more resilient and productive.

o Retains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations (pervasive ambiguity, frequent change, high workloads).

o Describes disruptions as challenges rather than threats.

o Adjusts personal coping mechanisms to deal with disruptions.

Critical Judgement- Evaluating ideas and information while referring to objective criteria to reach rational conclusion.

o Maintains a broad, strategic perspective while identifying and focusing on crucial details.

o Analyzes the dynamic relationships, viewpoints and agendas, both acknowledged and implicit, of key players and stakeholders.

o Makes complex recommendations for which there is no set precedent.

o Considers a multiplicity of interrelated factors for which there is incomplete and contradictory information.

o Balances competing priorities in making recommendations.

Problem Solving- Identifying problems and the solutions to them.

o Identifies complex problems based on a broad range of factors, many of which are ambiguous or difficult to define.

o Identifies optimal solutions, considering possible approaches and flexibilities in the system as well as organizational values, policies and procedures.

o Evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of solutions after they have been implemented in order to identify needed changes.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science discipline.

Eight years of progressively responsible experience in polymer extrusion process engineering.

Three years of progressively responsible experience in fiber extrusion.

Demonstrated experience and knowledge of product and process failure analysis.

Demonstrated experience and knowledge of Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programing.

Strong project management skills required.

Experience in extrusion, tooling, troubleshooting equipment, and performing machine and process set-ups.

Experience in Manufacturing Practices (MP), knowledge of and experience with ISO 9001 required.

Proficient computer, data analysis, and report writing skills.

Hands-on experience managing operating extruders with a strong understanding of plastics extrusion processes and downstream equipment, particularly in the context of manufacturing tight-specification products.

Proficiency in extrusion process optimization, troubleshooting, and equipment setup and maintenance.

Knowledge of various extrusion materials, including polymers and additives, and their properties.

Experience with process monitoring and control, statistical process control (SPC), and quality assurance techniques.

Ability to travel domestically and internationally as necessary (approx. 10%).

BENEFITS for full time:

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits.

100% company paid Short-term and Long-term disability insurance coverage.

100% company paid Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance coverage.

100% company paid Business Travel Accident (BTA) insurance.

100% company paid Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Additional voluntary benefits are offered.

401K plan: Maximum match is 4.5% of the first 6% of contribution.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan:

Clearfield's Time Off Policy includes Personal Time Off (PTO) beginning at three weeks annually. PTO is accrued on the first of the month starting on day of hire. In addition, nine paid holidays per year.

SALARY RANGE: $95,038 - $118,797 - $142,557; bonus eligible position. Offers of employment will be extended at a level consistent with the experience and qualifications of the candidate. This information reflects the anticipated salary range for this position at the time of posting. The salary range may be modified in the future and actual compensation may vary from the posting based on various factors such as geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.

Full-time