Principal Process Engineer

Role and Responsibilities

• Lead process validation and optimization for existing and future products in high-volume manufacturing environment
• Lead process characterization and qualification (DOE, SPC, PFMEA)
• Drive yield improvement and cost reduction initiatives
• Develop and sustain process operating procedures and related documentation.
• Work closely with production, equipment engineering, maintenance and quality engineering to resolve yield, quality and throughout issues.
• Drive Process improvement and cycle time reduction and defect reduction task forces in high volume manufacturing.
• Implement lean manufacturing principles to optimize cycle time, reduce waste, and improve overall equipment effectiveness
• Collaborate with NPI, equipment engineering and production on new equipment/product to ensure seamless pilot run and production ramp
• Provide guidance to Shift Engineers and Process Technicians for respective process area and projects.
• Collaborate with automation and IT teams to integrate furnace control systems and MES for real time process monitoring and data collection
• Develop MES dashboards and alerts for process deviations, downtime and KPI tracking
• Support paperless manufacturing initiatives and digital workflows related to furnace operations.

Skills and Experience

• B.S. degree in Engineering (Physics, Material, or Mechanical). Master or Ph.D. preferred.
• 8 -10+ years' experience in high volume manufacturing environments, with hands-on process engineering, manufacturing engineering, and sustaining experience
• Expertise in gas furnace or high-temperature thermal process in high volume manufacturing is preferred
• Deep understanding of sintering mechanisms and thermal/mechanical behavior of ceramics in extreme environments.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and demonstrated ability to understand interaction of hardware and process as they affect the final product.
• Demonstrated experience owning a process module in both a development environment and high-volume manufacturing environment, along with a proven track record of defining processes and procedures for manufacturing.
• Demonstrated track record of solving manufacturing yield problems.
• Methodical approach to process development with depth in data analysis associated with SPC, DOE, pFMEA, fishbone analysis. Working knowledge of data analysis software such as JMP is a plus.