Production Engineer

Position Title: Production Engineer

Position Summary

The Englewood site manufactures personal care ingredients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Our operations include liquid and solid blending, encapsulation, milling, spray congealing, extrusion, and downpacking.

The Production Engineer owns day-to-day manufacturing performance at Englewood. This is a hands-on, floor-based role: working alongside operators, supervisors, maintenance, and quality to monitor processes in real time, solve problems at the root, and continuously improve how our equipment and our people perform. Englewood runs a mix of automated and manual operations, and a significant share of the work is still done by hand. A core part of this role is to learn those manual processes firsthand and bring innovative, practical solutions that improve safety, reduce labor load, and make our operations more efficient and consistent.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is process optimization grounded in real life on the production floor. The Production Engineer spends time with operators to understand how and why we do what we do, then applies sound engineering principles to make it easier for our people to be successful every shift. That work follows a simple cycle:

• Understand. Spend time on the floor to learn each process, how it actually runs, and why it is done the way it is.

• Measure. Collect data on real-life performance, including downtime, yields, cycle times, labor content, quality results, and near misses, rather than relying on assumptions.

• Prioritize. Rank improvement opportunities by their impact on safety, quality, and productivity, and focus effort where it matters most.

• Deliver. Facilitate the actions needed to bring improvements to life by aligning Production, Maintenance, Quality, and vendors, then follow through until results are sustained.

When this cycle is working, it shows up in our results:

• Reduced downtime caused by unplanned events

• Higher production performance through schedule adherence and Right First Time (RFT) manufacturing

• Safer, less labor-intensive operations through targeted automation of manual tasks, with more efficient and consistent processes as a result

• 100% On Time In Full (OTIF) delivery with zero customer complaints, reflecting consistently high quality and reliable product stability

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Daily process monitoring. Be on the production floor every day, observing and monitoring process performance across blending, encapsulation, milling, spray congealing, extrusion, and downpacking. Learn how and why each step is done, review batch records, process parameters, yields, cycle times, and in-process results, and act quickly on deviations before they affect product quality or the schedule.

• Data collection and prioritization. Gather real-life data from the floor through observation, time studies, downtime and deviation records, and operator input. Maintain a prioritized list of improvement opportunities ranked by impact on safety, quality, and productivity, and review it regularly with site leadership.

• Process optimization. Specify and run plant trials, and partner with R&D and technical service, to establish and tighten process parameters for safety, quality, throughput, and product stability. Translate results into updated batch instructions, SOPs, and operating windows.

• Unplanned downtime reduction. Lead structured root cause analysis (5 Whys, fishbone, FMEA) on equipment failures, process upsets, and batch deviations. Partner with maintenance on preventive and predictive maintenance and critical spares, and track and trend downtime by cause to eliminate repeat events.

• Schedule adherence. Work with planning and production supervision to identify and remove the constraints that keep the site from executing the schedule, including changeovers, cleaning, material staging, equipment availability, and staffing.

• Right First Time. Identify and eliminate sources of rework, reprocessing, off-spec material, and documentation errors through robust process controls, error-proofing, and clear work instructions.

• Understand the manual work. Learn manual operations firsthand by working alongside operators on tasks such as material charging, bag dumping, weighing, material handling, and downpacking. Map each process, measure labor content and variability, and identify the safety, ergonomic, and quality risks that come with manual handling.

• Automation and innovation. Lead the site in finding and implementing innovative automation solutions, such as automated material handling and transfer, powder conveying, bulk bag unloading, automated weighing and dispensing, recipe-driven controls, and packaging automation. Build the business case for each opportunity based on safety, labor reduction, efficiency, and consistency, and see it through specification, vendor selection, installation, and startup.

• People and standard work. Develop standard work, visual work instructions, and hands-on training for operators on new and existing processes. Bring operators into the design of improvements and automation so that solutions work on the floor, and support them through changes to their roles.

• Quality and compliance. Support deviation investigations, CAPAs, and change control with Quality. Ensure processes meet cGMP expectations for API manufacturing (e.g., ICH Q7, 21 CFR 210/211) as well as personal care ingredient quality standards.

• Customer focus. Support customer complaint investigations and connect process performance directly to customer outcomes. Monitor process capability on critical quality attributes so that product is consistent and stable lot after lot.

• Facilitating action. Turn priorities into results by facilitating the actions needed across Production, Maintenance, Quality, Planning, and outside vendors. Set clear owners and timelines, remove roadblocks, and follow through until improvements are in place and sustained.

• Performance metrics. Establish and maintain production KPIs, including unplanned downtime, OEE, schedule attainment, RFT, OTIF, and customer complaints, and review them in daily tier meetings and monthly operations reviews.

• Continuous improvement. Apply Lean and Six Sigma tools (standard work, 5S, SMED, SPC, value stream mapping) to improve capacity, cost, and consistency.

• Safety. Participate in PHA/HAZOP reviews and Management of Change, with particular attention to powder handling, dust hazards, and the ergonomic risks of manual operations.

• Projects. Scope, justify, and execute capital and expense projects, including automation projects, that improve safety, reliability, capacity, and quality or reduce manual labor. Support commissioning, startup, and operator training on new or modified equipment, and work with Finance on budgeting and project close-out.

Note: The duties listed above are not all inclusive and may be subject to periodic updating or revision.

Education & Experience

Education: Bachelor of Science in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering. A minimum of 2 years of experience in a manufacturing environment, including at least 1 year in process or production engineering.

Experience:

• Pharmaceutical or API manufacturing experience strongly preferred, including cGMP, batch records, deviations/CAPA, change control, and validation.

• Experience in personal care, cosmetics, nutraceutical, food, or specialty chemical manufacturing is also valued.

• Hands-on experience with one or more of the following: liquid or powder blending, encapsulation, milling/size reduction, spray congealing or spray drying, extrusion, or packaging/downpacking operations.

• Experience implementing automation in a manufacturing environment, such as material handling, dispensing, controls, or packaging automation, is strongly preferred.

• Lean or Six Sigma training or certification (Green Belt or higher) is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, & Talents

• Floor presence. Prefers to be where the work happens. Comfortable working shoulder-to-shoulder with operators across shifts and earning their trust.

• Process and people focus. Ability to coach, train, and influence hourly teams and supervisors without direct authority, and to build standard work that people actually follow.

• Root cause problem solving. Strong troubleshooting skills with a structured, data-driven approach (SPC, trend analysis, designed trials) to find and fix root causes of safety, quality, and operational issues.

• Technical understanding. Practical knowledge of powder and liquid processing, including mixing, particle size reduction, heat transfer, and how process conditions affect product quality and stability.

• Automation mindset. Curious and inventive about how manual work can be made safer and easier. Able to see where automation fits, and where a simpler fix is better, and to make a sound business case for it.

• Equipment and systems. Working knowledge of PLCs, HMIs, and controls, as well as material handling equipment, mechanical systems, utilities, and reliability practices. Experience working with automation integrators and equipment vendors is a plus.

• Results driven. Takes ownership of outcomes in safety, unplanned downtime, schedule adherence, Right First Time, and OTIF, and measures success by customer results.

• Multitasking and agility. Able to manage multiple priorities at once and adjust quickly as issues come up in day-to-day production. Comfortable shifting focus to support an urgent safety, quality, or equipment issue, then returning to longer-term improvement and project work without losing momentum. Strong organizational skills keep both moving forward.

• Communication. Clear communicator who works effectively across Production, Maintenance, Quality, Planning, R&D, and with customers when needed.

• Tools. Proficient with Excel and data analysis tools; ERP and MES experience is a plus.

Working Conditions

• Position based on-site at the Englewood manufacturing facility.

• Full-time position working 5 days per week.

• Flexible schedule available, with periodic off-shift or weekend support as production needs require.

Pay

The estimated base pay range for this position is:  $80,000 - $110,000 annually.  Actual pay will be determined based on education, certifications, experience, qualifications, skills and geographic location.  This position is eligible to participate in a short-term incentive program.

Benefits

Vantage offers a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees, including:

·       Medical, HSA, dental, vision

·       FSA (limited purpose, dependent care, and commuter/parking)

·       Life and AD&D insurance

·       Accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance

·       Short- and long-term disability

·       EAP, identity theft protection

·       Paid time off, Parental Leave

·       401(k) with company match

Equal Employment Opportunity

Vantage is an equal opportunity employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other protected category. 

About Vantage

Vantage provides natural solutions to our customers’ technical performance and marketing needs through a unique combination of chemistry, application expertise and service. Underpinned by our broad portfolio of formulations, ingredients and actives that are built on a backbone of sustainable oils, fats and their derivatives, Vantage targets selected markets and applications including personal care, food, surface treatment, agriculture, pharma, and consumer and industrial performance. Vantage is headquartered in Deerfield, IL., operates in 11 countries worldwide and employs more than 1,000 talented professionals focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences with every interaction.

We are a dynamic people-centered organization where you’ll be part of a collaborative global team. Embracing our cultural diversity, we learn from each other to constantly improve, adapt and iterate. We value the voices and talents of our colleagues, empowering them to drive their unique ideas to completion. We’re convinced that exceptionally motivated employees produce outstanding results and we celebrate them by fostering a culture of recognition, development, learning, excellence and shared achievement. Most importantly, we know you’re going to like it here.  For more information visit: vantagegrp.com or LinkedIn/vantage.