Process Engineer jobs in Rockford, IL

Combined Metals is a premier North American processor and distributor of specialty strip and wire built through 50 years of growth and acquisition. Combined Metals is the largest independent processor and distributor of specialty strip and wire in North America. With nine service centers, Combined Metals supports over 3,000 customers in the Aerospace, Defense, Nuclear, Medical, Petrochemical, Oil & Gas, Electrification, Automotive, and Consumer industries. Decades of quality and reliability have made Combined Metals™ a chosen source in performance applications.

The Process Engineer will design and oversee the manufacturing processes to produce raw high performance alloy steel in the form of wire, rod, and bar compliant to customer and industry requirements. Meeting regularly with the production team to determine what current processes consist of and will collaborate with them to adjust accordingly. Investigate failures and non-conformances in production and support root cause and corrective action investigations.

Position Functions:

• Establish and maintain manufacturing standard processes and make controlled changes when required.
• Review router instructions to ensure all requirements are met and instructions are clearly communicated.
• Review customer inquiries to determine plant’s ability to process product according to the capabilities.
• Provide technical and metallurgical support to external customers and internal team.
• Review industry and customer specifications and comment on, or take exception to, requirements according to plant’s capabilities.
• Disposition Nonconforming material and investigate causes of failures. Make any necessary changes to standard processes or procedures to prevent recurrences.
• Provide processing support to the shop floor to produce material according to customer and industry standards and requirements.
• Assist in preparation and/or review of processes and procedures to ensure the material produced meets customer requirements.
• Proven ability to work independently, be a self-starter, problem solver and self-directed.
• Knowledge of thermal processing, cold working, and processing of metals.
• Limited travel both domestically and internationally may be required.
• Proven ability to create and present information to all levels.
• Support continuous improvement efforts to improve manufacturing procedures and standards.
• Investigate customer complaints and assist in the determination of root causes and corrective actions.
• Technical liaison with raw material and outside processing suppliers.
• Monitor and maintain Pyrometry Standards for Production Furnaces.
• Provide technical support for capital projects, aiming to improve manufacturing capabilities.
• Work with Production Operators and Maintenance Technicians to understand the plant machinery’s strengths and weaknesses in order to route material effectively and efficiently.
• Create standards and guidelines to improve and streamline Production processes.
• Provide technical support to Allocations as necessary, and maintain proficiency at material allocation.
• Create and manage trial processes for customers to develop new product lines. Communicate the results internally and with the customer as necessary.
• Perform Metallographic Analysis as necessary.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Metallurgy, Metallurgical Engineering, Material Engineering/Science, or closely related discipline.

• New Graduate to several years’ experience in a metals processing environment.

Physical Requirements:

• Lift, carry, push, or pull objects up to 50 lbs.
• Standing and walking for almost the entirety of the shift.

General Requirements:

• Candidate must possess strong technical and leadership skills, strong attention to detail, and handle a large volume of small projects. Candidate must work in close cooperation with department supervisors, maintenance, and manufacturing personnel to ensure proper operation of equipment to obtain the desired production, safety, and quality levels. Candidate must possess excellent problem-solving skills and proficiency in Root Cause Analysis.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, Visio).