Plant Engineer Jobs in Tennessee

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Project Engineer/ Plant Engineer is responsible for managing capital projects, facility improvements, and engineering initiatives that support safe, efficient, and reliable manufacturing operations. Essential duties and responsibilities include:

• Lead capital improvement, facility upgrade, and process improvement projects from concept development through installation, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, forecasts, and cost estimates; monitor project performance to ensure objectives are achieved within established timelines and budgets.
• Provide engineering expertise for the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new processes, equipment, technologies, and materials to improve productivity, quality, reliability, safety, and cost performance.
• Ensure all engineering projects and facility modifications comply with OSHA, environmental, building, electrical, fire protection, and applicable industry regulations and standards.
• Coordinate and manage contractors, consultants, OEMs, vendors, and suppliers to support engineering projects, equipment installations, retrofits, maintenance activities, and procurement efforts.
• Prepare work scopes, bid specifications, and technical documentation for contractor and vendor proposals; review bid packages and provide recommendations for award.
• Support the development, review, and approval of engineering drawings, equipment specifications, construction documents, and related technical records.
• Oversee field installation activities, verify workmanship and compliance with project requirements, and accept completed work.
• Initiate and coordinate procurement activities, including material requisitions, expediting, and receipt of project materials and equipment.
• Prepare and communicate project status updates, construction progress reports, and cost forecasts to plant and corporate leadership.
• Develop, maintain, and improve engineering procedures, standards, and best practices to ensure effective support of plant operations.
• Collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Safety, and other departments to evaluate existing equipment performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support plant maintenance activities by providing technical assistance related to electrical systems, plumbing systems, building infrastructure, utilities, and troubleshooting efforts.
• Provide engineering support for environmental compliance activities, including testing, reporting, permitting, inspections, and audits.
• Serve as the primary engineering contact for plant utility systems and maintain effective working relationships with utility providers, including the local Energy Authority and TVA.
• Coordinate testing, inspection, repair, and maintenance activities for critical emergency systems, including fire alarm and fire suppression systems.
• Support facility insurance inspections and ensure timely completion of corrective actions resulting from inspection findings.
• Participate in Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and equipment validation activities to ensure equipment meets operational and design requirements.
• Partner with site safety personnel to identify and implement machinery, process, and personnel safety improvements.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to health, safety, environmental stewardship, and continuous improvement through personal leadership and adherence to company standards.
• Serve as a facility emergency contact and provide support during off-hours incidents or critical operational events as required.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with injection molding machinery, and plastics processing (multiple technologies).
• Comprehensive knowledge of plastic injection molding process, machines, and resins.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from employees, coworkers and leadership.
• Proficiency with MS office (word, spreadsheets), database applications, e-mail and internet research.
• Excellent communication skills and demonstrated leadership ability.

Education and/or Experience:

• B.S. Degree in Civil, Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical or Manufacturing Engineering required.
• 5+ years related project engineering experience required.
• Must have experience with medium to large scale engineering projects: budgeting, forecasting, scheduling, and financials.
• Basic understanding of ACAD drawings and equipment literature applicable in a manufacturing facility.
• Ability to create and modify engineering drawings using AutoCAD, SolidWorks software.
• Must be able to work Monday to Friday, standard 8 hour work schedule with the ability to work "overtime" (3-5 hours a week) based on business needs.
• This is a fully onsite role. Must be able to commute daily to our Brownsville, TN plant.

Language Skills: Ability to read and comprehend sufficient English to follow work instructions. Legible writing.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to perform basic mathematics including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and averaging with both whole and fractional numbers.

Reasoning Ability: Capable of applying basic problem solving tools to determine root cause of facility related issues. Use of critical thought is a must.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to lift-up to 50 pounds.
• This position is very active and requires frequent standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, climbing; use of hands to finger, handle or feel, reach with hands and arms.
• This position requires frequent communication with other employees. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Able to work safely in a production environment around moving mechanical parts, recognizing various sounds and alarms.

Work Environment:

This position has a transitioning work environment. Office/computer and manufacturing plant environments are normal. The noise level in the plant environment is usually high, as normal for a manufacturing plant. Some of the work in the operating units may require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, steel toe shoes, fall protection, hard hats, etc.

Westlake is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable legislation.

If you are an active Westlake employee (or an employee of any Westlake affiliates), please do not apply here. You will apply via the Jobs Hub application in Workday.