Plastics Engineer - ENTEC (Chicago)

Company: Ravago Americas LLC
Location: Chicago
Posted on: May 28, 2023

Job Description:

GENERAL BACKGROUND:
The Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer is an individual with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Plastics Engineering, Plastics Technology, Material Science or related engineering discipline. Typically an Engineer will have varied practical experience but should have a strong background in materials / polymer science, plastics processing (preferably multiple processing technologies) as well as strong trouble-shooting and project management skills. In addition, this individual should have strong written and verbal communication skills in order to interact effectively with customers, suppliers, sales representatives and colleagues.
The role of the Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer is to provide commercial technical support at existing and targeted customers. This position requires interaction with a variety of customers, suppliers, agencies, testing facilities, as well as with various personnel within the Entec Polymers / Ravago organization.
The Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer is based out of a home-office and provides internal (sales and management) and external (customer) support in a defined geographical region. Most of the travel is by car although there may be times that flying is required. A valid passport should also be held in the event that travel to Canada or Mexico is required.
General day-to-day responsibilities include assisting customers and Entec Sales Reps with:

• Processing assistance
• Processing trouble shooting
• Material selection
• Part and / or mold design review
• Attending customer meetings as the 'technical expert'
• Giving technical presentations and/or workshops
• Providing general support for technical questions, requests for technical literature, data-sheets, material properties or other technical documents In addition, the Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer may be expected to provide support in other areas such as:
  • Assisting with determining the cause of part failures
  • Specification approval assistance
  • Working on projects such as developing technical presentations, competitive offset lists, assisting Business Development Managers with special projects, etc. Preferred Qualifications:
    • located in Chicago, IL
    • currently working in a technical service/plastics processing engineer position
    • 5-15 years related experience
    • Should have good knowledge in various processing methods (injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, film processing, etc)
    • Should have good ability to troubleshoot processing problems and defects
    • Should have good ability to troubleshoot processing problems and defects
    • Must have strong knowledge of plastic materials and their properties TYPICAL DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES
      A big part of the day-to-day activity of the Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer is in attending processing trials. The majority of these processing trials would be for injection molding, but there will also be blow molding, extrusion and film trials as well. These processing trials may be in support of running Entec supplied material in a new mold, for a new application or to replace a competitive material. These trials may also be for trouble-shooting, for instance, when there is a processing problem or an issue with the final part dimensions, appearance, function or performance. While the travel will vary from week-to-week, a good assumption would be an average of 60% travel. In some regions the Technical Service Engineer may be away from home 1-3 nights per week while in other regions they may be home almost every night.
      The other common day-to-day activities include answering a variety of technical questions. These questions are pretty much related to anything having to do with plastics but would commonly include things like:
      • Material selection
      • Providing data, literature or other information
      • Answering a variety of plastics related questions on material properties, processing, equipment, testing, etc.
      • Participating in conference calls with customers on technical discussions EXPECTATIONS:
        The Technical Service Engineer / Plastics Engineer is expected to act in a professional manner with (internal and external) customers as they are representing Entec Polymers. They are expected to act with honesty, truthfulness, integrity and in a pleasant helpful manner. They should be capable of effectively managing their own time and travel schedule and to be able to prioritize projects and tasks, competing them in a timely manner. They are expected to write visit reports to document their visits and disseminate information. They should under-promise and over-deliver when committing things to customers. They should not be afraid to ask for assistance and support from colleagues or suppliers.
        Continuous, on-going training is expected so that the individual can continue to learn and grow in knowledge and experience. Training may include supplier-specific seminars, industry seminars, formal courses, travel with other Technical Service Engineers, and reading technical books, journals and papers.
        IND2
        NOTICE TO APPLICANTS:
        Ravago Americas is an equal employment opportunity employer. We adhere to a policy of making employment decisions without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, citizenship status, or marital status. We assure you that your opportunity for employment with this employer depends solely upon your qualifications.
        Other details
        • Job Family COMMERCIAL JOB FAMILY
        • Job Function 2. INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR
        • Pay Type Salary
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Keywords: Ravago Americas LLC, Chicago , Plastics Engineer - ENTEC (Chicago), Engineering , Chicago, Illinois