Job Opening: Process Engineer, Associate Development Program
Overview
The successful candidate will be a recent college graduate that will enter H&V’s two-year Associate Development Program. This program will provide structured training through a series of rotating assignments at various H&V locations. At the conclusion of this period, the Process Engineer will identify opportunities for continual process improvements at one of our US facilities in Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, Georgia, or Oregon. The Process Engineer will design and implement solutions for these improvements using sound engineering principles, including Six Sigma methodology, that result in one or more of the following: improved product quality, less waste, reduced cost, improved reliability, increased efficiency, increased speed, improved employee safety, improved environmental status, and greater overall system capability.
Responsibilities
At the conclusion of the program, the Process Engineer will be assigned to one H&V location and will have the following responsibilities:
Successfully manage and implement high impact projects identified by the location leadership group.
Aid in design of all process related capital projects.
Maintain process configuration documentation.
Resolve customer complaints related to process issues, as appropriate.
Assist in process modifications required for product development.
Identify required capital needs for process improvements, aid in their design, prepare plant orders, and coordinate their start-up.
Temporarily cover other key positions during vacations.
Qualifications
BS in Paper Science, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or equivalent.
0-2years experience as a co-op or summer intern in a manufacturing environment preferred.
Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact with individuals at all levels, both internal and external.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Team player who fosters cooperation and collaboration between engineering, production, research and development, and any other entities involved.
Good problem-solving and organizational skills with ability to manage multiple projects.
Locations
The Process Engineer will be placed into a two-year training program. This program will consist of six 4-month assignments at H&V locations as follows:
Five 4-month assignments in East Walpole/West Groton, MA; Easton/Greenwich NY; Floyd, VA; Hawkinsville, GA; and Corvallis, OR.
One 4-month international assignment in Germany, England, Mexico, or China.
Reporting Structure During the duration of the training program, on a day-to-day basis, the Associate will report to their Sponsor, who typically will be the Mill Manager or one of his direct reports. In addition, the Associate will have dotted line reporting responsibilities to John Follett, Director of Manufacturing Development in East Walpole, MA. John will serve as the Mentor and training oversight manager for the duration of the training program to insure consistency of training and act as training liaison between sites.
Process Training
At each location, the Associate will be tasked with developing a complete and thorough understanding of the manufacturing process at that plant. The Associate will be expected to complete the following in order to demonstrate their understanding:
Produce diagrams of building layouts on site plan.
Produce drawings of the raw material feed systems including storage, delivery method to the process, and processing steps up to and including the web forming process through final product packaging.
Produce drawings of water systems (paper) including fresh water, white water, and effluent.
Produce drawings of the steam supply and condensate return systems including basic controls.
Produce drawings of the compressed air supply system.
Produce drawings or schematics of the control loops for the systems above.
Create a database of these systems for benchmarking.
Review capability data on Critical to Quality characteristics for key customer accounts and grades – note where capability is low.
Assess current methods for planning, executing, and reviewing production.
Assess current level of discipline/repeatability on key process settings from run to run and within a run.
Based on above, summarize and prioritize areas needing improvement.
At each location, the site sponsor and John Follett will collaborate and select a set of projects of some reasonable substance for the Associate to join and become an active participant. The requirements of the Mill and the capabilities of the Associate will determine the project(s) selected for the Associate.
Operations Training
At each location, the Associate will be tasked with developing a complete understanding of the Business Unit, Mill, and R&D operations. These activities will include the following:
Attend daily and weekly meetings, review daily scorecards, and understand how decisions are made.
Become thoroughly familiar with the system used for standard set ups and operating conditions.
Develop a short list of H&V contacts that the Associate can turn to as frequently as needed until learns the organization
Formal Training
During the training program, the Associate will complete the following three training modules offered publicly by the American Management Association (AMA) and the Boston University Corporate Education Center:
“Making the Transition from Staff Member to Supervisor”
“Management Skills for New Supervisors”
“Principals of Project Management”
Other technical classroom training will be assigned and completed as required (i.e. loop tuning, control logic, CAD, etc.). In addition, the Associate will be afforded training in Six Sigma through an H&V-approved training resource and/or a specific Six Sigma project on the manufacturing floor. The minimum goal will be to achieve Six Sigma Green Belt certification, but will be required to achieve Black Belt certification within 2-3 years of the start of this program.
For more information, contact Dodie Kostecki
Hollingsworth & Vose
E-mail: [email protected]
