Engineer Process - Advanced Drainage Systems

At ADS, no idea is off limits, and we celebrate creativity and bold moves.  For more than 50 years ADS has been manufacturing a variety of innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional materials.  Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, we are a multi-billion dollar stormwater management company, manufacturing pipe and ancillary products. What does that mean? When it storms, we capture rain with our drain basins, convey it with pipe, store it using chambers and finally treat it with our water quality products, before safely returning water back to the environment. We handle, what we call, the entire lifecycle of a raindrop. Our products help prevent flooding, which increases quality of life for people living in large cities, suburbs, and rural towns. We also believe in creating a circular economy and are the largest plastic recycling company in North America. We use plastic shampoo and detergent bottles to create pipe, diverting over 500 million pounds of plastic from landfills every year. ADS operates a global network of over 60 manufacturing plants and 30 distribution centers. 

The successful candidate must bring high level of ethical, intellectual, professional, and personal values that complement the team.

• Strategic Mindset – anticipates future trends and implications accurately
• Decision Quality – relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions
• Customer Focus – identifies opportunities that benefit the business
• Business Insight – keeps up with current and possible future policies, practices, and trends in the organization, function, and in the marketplace
• Plans and Aligns – breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions
• Optimizes Work Processes – seeks ways to improve processes, from small tweaks to complete reengineering
• Ensures Accountability – establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results
• Collaborates – works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
• Develops Talent – develops others through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
• Builds Effective Teams – forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of styles, perspectives, and experience
• Drives Vision and Purpose – talks about future possibilities in a positive way
• Courage – faces difficult issues and supports others who do the same

The Process Engineer serves as the technical aid for our ADS manufacturing recycling facilities; primarily supporting the Pandora Recycling plant in Pandora, OH. Working closely with these sites, they strive to enhance productivity by optimizing recycling processes, ensuring equipment reliability, implementing upgrades (including replacements), establishing standard work procedures, and promoting standardized processes.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborate with different teams to establish and implement processes aimed at standardizing manufacturing practices.
• Provide assistance during new production runs.
• Identify opportunities for enhancing productivity and collaborate with manufacturing sites to develop and execute improvement plans.
• Support training for production associates as required.
• Assess the condition of existing manufacturing lines and collaborate with manufacturing teams to devise and execute equipment and line enhancement strategies.
• Aid plant teams in assessing equipment needs and prioritize them for capital planning.
• Oversee critical equipment installations in close coordination with manufacturing teams.
• Formulate standard operating procedures for key manufacturing processes.
• Lead systematic problem-solving teams to identify root causes and implement permanent corrective actions for significant manufacturing challenges.
• Deliver formal updates and reviews to leadership on key projects, tooling runs, and ongoing improvement initiatives.
• Share insights and best practices across plants.
• Promote best practices and continuous improvement through standardized processes.
• Work alongside various operational teams to overcome project obstacles.
• Lead lean Root Cause Analysis (RCA) initiatives utilizing methodologies like Six Sigma, A3, 5 Whys, and Fishbone diagrams to enhance process and equipment reliability.
• Develop, oversee, and execute capital equipment projects supporting production.

This position should possess the following skills/knowledge:

• Strong interpersonal abilities
• Proficient in analytical and systematic problem-solving
• Experienced in Lean Manufacturing principles
• Effective communicator across all organizational levels
• Skilled in driving continuous improvement through Six Sigma methodologies
• Proficient in developing and implementing SOPs for plastic processing equipment
• Demonstrates resilience and resourcefulness
• Possesses strong organizational and analytical capabilities
• Expertise in extrusion processing techniques
• Ensures equipment reliability and maintainability

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical, Plastics, Industrial, Mechanical, or another Engineering discipline
• Or minimum 10 year’s experience in a Process Engineering field

Preferred Experience:

• Over five years of diverse manufacturing experience across different levels
• Previous involvement in manufacturing environments, particularly in plastic extrusion and molding, is advantageous
• Demonstrated success in fostering continuous improvement within manufacturing teams
• Familiarity with polymer processing equipment and tooling, including extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding
• Prior experience in capital planning, project development, and project execution
• Proficient in utilizing Microsoft Office Suite Software
• AutoCAD
• Rockwell software a plus

Other Requirements:

• 25% travel would be typical for this role
• Ability to travel as needed to support plant requirements
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs
• Ability to stand for long periods of time
• Ability to work within the various climate conditions