Process Engineer

Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a Westlake division (NYSE:WLK), is one of the largest polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings manufacturer in North America. With 23 manufacturing and distribution locations, the company supplies gasketed, solvent weld and restrained joint pipes and a wide range of fittings for a diverse list of markets including municipal water and sewer, plumbing, water well, pool and spa, and agricultural and turf irrigation. Westlake Pipe & Fittings is an industry leader in product development with Certa-Lok® spline-lock technology and product systems that are focused on building A Better Foundation. To learn more, visit the website at WestlakePipe.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. 

SUMMARY

The Process Engineer will be heavily involved in the daily operations of the facility and is a key member of the plant leadership team.  Lead the manufacturing program for plant output optimization, down-time reduction, scrap reduction, process control, and material usage optimization.  Provide problem solving consultation, develop engineering procedures, standard operating procedures, training materials and engineering support for capital projects.  

*This position is based out of our Abbotsford, BC plant.      

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support operations by leading and directing technical activities necessary to solve problems encountered in any part of the facility.
• Develop & maintain process guidelines (SOP/SOC) and training programs for the integration of new employees or role changes, as well as lead Westlake’s Management of Change Process covering health, safety, environmental and employee training requirements for new products and systems.
• Conduct data analysis of scrap, downtime, line rates, and material usage.  Prepare charts, and reports to assist the plant team to make data driven decisions to improve results.
• Continually strive to reduce process variation (improve process capability) to ensure consistent product quality and adherence to manufacturing and agency standards.
• Lead cost reduction initiatives through materials, product, and process improvements.  Facilitate brainstorming sessions and develop action plans for the Profit Improvement Process Westlake’s Continuous Improvement Process (PIP).  Examples include activities to reduce utilities consumption, cycle times, scrap, downtime, material usage variance, and direct labor.
• Utilize a variety of continuous improvement tools such as: Lean Manufacturing/Toyota Production Systems, Six-Sigma, 5S/6S, Total Productive Maintenance, Kaizen Events, Value Stream Maps, DOEs, FMEAs, Advanced Problem-Solving, etc.
• Participate in updating of manufacturing standards as a result of performance improvements.
• Develop work cell layouts in an effort to optimize material flow and support 5S and visual management initiatives.
• Initiate new equipment and technologies to maintain the company’s competitive advantage; including detailed scope definitions with the plant capabilities, throughput, and equipment controls including function block diagrams, process parameters, and data acquisition requirements including Capital Expense justification, RFQ documents, and execution timeline plans (including facility preparation, installation, HSE, training, production ramp-up, etc.).

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Participate and lead others in near miss, hazard, and incident reporting.
• Participate and/or cooperate with the JHSC to improve safety.
• Perform housekeeping activities as required.
• Comply with the WorkSafe BC and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
• Comply with Health and Safety rules, policies and procedures of the division.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

• Ensure own conduct and that of direct reports is in accordance with Westlake Code of Business Ethics and the Workplace Discrimination/Harassment Policy
• Communicate with employees, plant and supervisory staff as required.
• Build participative working relationships with plant and management personnel.
• Comply with company rules, regulations and policies

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• B.S. degree (or equivalent) in Electrical, Mechanical, or Material Science Engineering, combined with 5+ years of experience of manufacturing work experience.  Strong preference for increasing experience:
• High volume, continuous manufacturing environment;
• Process Engineering / Manufacturing Engineering / CI skills and expertise. 
• A results-oriented problem solver with an analytical approach.
• Excellent verbal & written communication.
• A hands-on individual with the ability drive results through others.
• Six sigma green/black belt and knowledge of DOE preferred.
• Knowledge of mistake-proofing sensor technology and PLC programming is desirable.

The base pay range for this position is $95,000 to $110,000. This rate is based on relevant market data in our lowest and highest geographic markets. Pay is based on several factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, experience and skillset. Westlake is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, sign on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package (also to include a full range of medical and other benefits).