Vangrace

The Process Engineer is responsible for developing, optimizing, and supporting manufacturing processes within a lithium battery separator manufacturing environment.

The Process Engineer owns assigned manufacturing processes and uses engineering principles, process data, and structured problem-solving to improve safety, product quality, yield, throughput, cost, and process stability.

The Process Engineer works cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Research & Development, EHS, and Supply Chain to troubleshoot manufacturing challenges, establish robust process windows, implement improvements, support new product and process scale-up, and strengthen day-to-day manufacturing performance.

Responsibilities:

• Own and support assigned manufacturing processes, including mixing, coating, slitting, material handling, and related separator production operations.
• Analyze process performance, optimize operating parameters, improve safety, quality, yield, throughput, reliability, and cost.
• Troubleshoot process-related production issues, lead structured root-cause investigations, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Establish, document, maintain process windows, setup standards, and engineering procedures.
• Support production startup, process validation, equipment qualification readiness activities
• Lead and support continuous improvement projects focused on scrap reduction, yield improvement, cycle-time reduction, process capability, and equipment reliability.
• Apply engineering and statistical methods including Root Cause Analysis, SPC, PFMEA, DOE, and Six Sigma methodologies as appropriate.
• Identify and recommend process, equipment, controls, and material-handling modifications that improve manufacturing performance.
• Use process capability and trend data to identify recurring losses and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Partner with R&D, Quality, and Operations to support new product introductions, process development, and manufacturing scale-up.
• Plan and execute pilot and production trials, including definition of trial objectives, data collection requirements, acceptance criteria, and technical conclusions.
• Evaluate new materials, technologies, equipment, and methods for production suitability.
• Translate development learnings into documented standards and repeatable production processes.
• Analyze manufacturing data, process trends, defects, and equipment parameters to support technical and operational decision-making.

Requirements:

• BS degree Mechanical, Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering
• 3-7 years of process engineering experience in lithium battery manufacturing, roll-to-roll, web handling coating/converting, extrusion, plastics, chemical processing, or advanced manufacturing preferred.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing troubleshooting, process optimization, production trials, and continuous improvement preferred.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes, engineering principles, and structured problem solving.
• Working knowledge of SPC, DOE, PFMEA, Root Cause Analysis, process capability, and Lean/Six Sigma methodologies.
• Interpret data, equipment parameters, process trends, quality results to make sound decisions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing data analysis or historian tools.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong written, verbal communication skills ability to work across technical and operational teams.
• Attention to detail, technical ownership, and commitment to safety and operational excellence.
• Travel as needed between plants.