Pultrusion Process Engineer

Pultrusion Process Engineer

Deceuninck North America is seeking a Pultrusion Process Engineer for its North American Headquarters. The Pultrusion Process Engineer is responsible for refining and optimizing the processes used in the production of composite materials. The Pultrusion Process Engineer will utilize both an analytical approach as well as hands-on experimentation to define new processes, optimize existing processes, support new material development, and support R&D activities. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with pultruded components, be a motivated self-starter with a solutions mindset, and be capable of enforcing process discipline on the shop floor while delivering measurable improvements.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop, document, and enforce robust standard operating procedures (SOPs) to drive process stability and repeatability, while supporting quality sustainment and improvement projects.
• Lead optimization of pultruded composites and manufacturing processes to improve product performance, throughput, and productivity, including deep characterization of composite construction variations on processability and product performance.
• Support and guide engineering and R&D pultrusion trials, as well as drive research, trials, scale up, and implementation of new products into production.
• Identify, justify and support implementation of new equipment, technologies, and processes to promote safety, quality, and productivity, including interfacing with equipment and raw material suppliers to bring in best-in-class technology and materials.
• Partner with design engineers to develop custom fixtures and tooling to support the pultrusion process and ensure robust industrialization of new designs.
• Provide direct technical support and training to pultrusion crews, mentoring operators and technicians to deepen process understanding and ensure adherence to best practices.
• Monitor and analyze process data to drive decision-making, track KPIs (e.g., OEE, downtime, throughput, scrap), perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions with sustained results. Identify viable outlets for scrap material to reduce landfill waste.
• Collaborate cross-functionally on efforts to reduce waste, enhance quality, and increase overall process efficiency.
• Spend significant time on the floor as the primary resource for process knowledge and troubleshooting, building trust with operators while holding the team accountable to established standards.
• Maintain clear, complete, and accurate records for project documentation and future reference.

Qualifications:

• 2 years of experience developing and optimizing pultrusion processes in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience developing and processing composite materials with pultrusion technology.
• Proficiency with common thermoset resin systems (including polyester, vinyl-ester, and urethane) and fiberglass.
• Experience partnering with R&D engineering, operations, vendors and other cross-functional / cross organizational stakeholders to develop and implement new manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement initiatives and ensure production adherence to standard work.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence multiple levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (chemical, material science, mechanical, industrial or composites preferred required); MBA or master’s degree is a differentiator.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt required (Black Belt preferred).
• PMP or equivalent project management certification is highly desirable.