Industrial Manufacturing

Lead Application Engineer – Flexible Packaging | Remote USA | Travel

Lead Application Engineer – Flexible Packaging

📍 Location: Fully Remote (USA)
✈️ Travel: Up to 60% (primarily US, occasional Canada/Mexico)
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time

💰 Compensation & Benefits

  • Base Salary: $105,000 – $125,000

  • Full benefits package

  • Bonus eligible

  • Relocation assistance possible for ideal candidates

Benefits Include:

  • Medical, dental & vision coverage starting Day 1

  • 401(k) with company match

  • Employee stock purchase program

  • Generous PTO & volunteer time

  • Tuition reimbursement & career development programs

  • Paid parental leave & family support benefits

  • Flexible work policies and wellness programs

🚀 Overview

A global leader in adhesive technologies and functional coatings is seeking a Lead Application Engineer – Flexible Packaging to provide technical leadership and customer-facing engineering support across the flexible packaging market.

This role serves as a trusted technical advisor supporting laminating adhesives and coatings technologies, helping customers optimize manufacturing processes, troubleshoot issues, implement new technologies, and drive innovation initiatives.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in flexible packaging, coatings, laminating adhesives, or converting processes with excellent customer engagement and project management capabilities.

🔧 Key Responsibilities

Technical Customer Support

  • Provide technical recommendations, troubleshooting, and application support for customers

  • Conduct onsite technical visits including:

    • Product demonstrations

    • Audits

    • Process troubleshooting

    • Equipment optimization

  • Support complaint investigations and root cause analysis

  • Document activities and findings within CRM and laboratory systems

Flexible Packaging & Coating Expertise

  • Support laminating adhesives and coatings applications

  • Provide expertise in:

    • Coating technologies

    • Converting processes

    • Flexible packaging applications

    • Mechanical/application equipment optimization

  • Assist customers in improving adhesive-related manufacturing processes

Project Management & Innovation

  • Lead customer-focused technical projects from concept through implementation

  • Scope and justify customer projects and technical initiatives

  • Collaborate cross-functionally with:

    • Product Development

    • Manufacturing

    • Supply Chain

    • Sales & Marketing

  • Support innovation pipeline initiatives and new technology adoption

Training & Relationship Management

  • Deliver technical training to customers and field sales teams

  • Serve as the technical liaison between customers and internal teams

  • Build strong relationships with stakeholders across all organizational levels

  • Promote best practices and share technical learnings across accounts

Laboratory & Technical Analysis

  • Coordinate and prioritize laboratory testing activities

  • Prepare technical reports summarizing findings and recommendations

  • Analyze complex technical and application-related problems

  • Support troubleshooting and process optimization initiatives

✅ Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in:

    • Chemical Engineering

    • Mechanical Engineering

    • Materials Engineering

    • Chemistry

    • Or related technical field

  • 5–10+ years of:

    • Technical service

    • Application engineering

    • Flexible packaging industry experience

  • Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication abilities

  • Strong project management and organizational skills

⭐ Highly Preferred Experience

  • Flexible packaging industry experience

  • Hands-on coating and/or converting expertise

  • Experience with:

    • Laminating adhesives

    • Coatings technologies

    • Application equipment

    • Converting machinery

  • Customer-facing technical service experience

🛠️ Core Skills

✔ Flexible Packaging
✔ Laminating Adhesives
✔ Coatings Technology
✔ Application Engineering
✔ Technical Service
✔ Troubleshooting
✔ Process Optimization
✔ Converting Equipment
✔ Project Management
✔ Customer Training
✔ Root Cause Analysis
✔ Industrial Manufacturing

🎯 Ideal Candidate

  • Hands-on technical expert within flexible packaging and coatings environments

  • Strong customer-facing engineer comfortable working onsite with manufacturing teams

  • Excellent communicator capable of interacting with operators through executive leadership

  • Organized and proactive project leader with strong analytical capabilities

  • Comfortable balancing technical problem solving with commercial support responsibilities

🌟 Why Join

  • Join a globally recognized innovation leader in adhesives and coatings technology

  • Fully remote role with significant customer engagement and technical ownership

  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge flexible packaging solutions

  • Strong career growth and international development opportunities

  • Collaborative culture focused on innovation, sustainability, and technical excellence

📋 Additional Details

  • Fully remote position

  • Heavy customer interaction and travel-based role

  • Travel up to ~60% with advance planning and support for work-life balance

  • Candidates must be comfortable working independently and managing multiple customer projects simultaneously

 

Value Stream Manager – Fabrication (Lean Manufacturing)

Value Stream Manager – Fabrication

📍 Location: Eagle, Wisconsin (Onsite)
💼 Employment Type: Full-Time
📈 Seniority Level: Mid-Senior
🕒 Experience Required: 5–7+ years
🎓 Education: Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience)
✈️ Travel: Occasional
🌎 Visa Sponsorship: Not available

🚀 Overview

A leading manufacturing organization is seeking a Value Stream Manager – Fabrication to lead end-to-end operations within a key production value stream.

This role is responsible for driving safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance, while embedding lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement across fabrication operations.

🔧 Key Responsibilities

Operations Leadership

  • Lead daily operations within the value stream to achieve performance targets across:

    • Safety

    • Quality

    • Delivery

    • Cost

  • Drive execution of daily, monthly, and annual production goals

  • Ensure a culture of accountability and operational excellence

Lean & Continuous Improvement

  • Implement lean methodologies including:

    • Flow optimization

    • Pull systems (Kanban)

    • Standardized work

  • Apply structured problem-solving methods (PDCA, root cause analysis)

  • Build a culture focused on “stop to fix” quality mindset

Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team

  • Manage performance, succession planning, and talent development

  • Foster a positive, engaged, and collaborative team environment

Process Optimization

  • Improve production flow and reduce:

    • Lead times

    • Inventory levels

    • Operating costs

  • Develop and execute short and long-term improvement plans

  • Ensure cross-training and workforce flexibility

Visual Management & Metrics

  • Implement visual management systems to surface issues quickly

  • Drive KPI performance across:

    • People

    • Safety

    • Quality

    • Delivery

    • Cost

  • Ensure consistent execution through leader standard work

New Product Introduction (NPI)

  • Lead operational readiness and execution for new product launches

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth integration

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Partner with:

    • Engineering

    • Supply Chain

    • Quality

    • Operations leadership

  • Share best practices and drive alignment across the facility

✅ Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in:

    • Engineering

    • Business

    • Supply Chain

    • Or related field (or equivalent experience)

  • 5+ years of experience in:

    • Operations leadership or lean manufacturing environments

⭐ Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in sheet metal fabrication, including:

    • Cutting

    • Punching

    • Forming

    • Welding

    • Painting

  • Hands-on experience with:

    • Lean principles and implementation

    • Flow, Kanban, and PFEP (Plan for Every Part)

  • ERP system experience (e.g., SAP)

  • Lean / Operations / Supply Chain certifications

🧠 Key Skills

  • Strong leadership and team development capability

  • Deep understanding of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement

  • Problem-solving expertise (5 Why, Fishbone, RCA)

  • Ability to drive cultural change and employee engagement

  • Strong analytical and performance management skills

🎯 Ideal Candidate

  • Proven manufacturing leader with a cost, quality, and efficiency mindset

  • Strong people leader who can motivate and engage shop floor teams

  • Hands-on experience in metal fabrication environments (laser, turret, press brake, welding, robotics)

  • Comfortable operating in high-mix, low-volume production environments

  • Experience driving operational transformation and scaling production capabilities

💡 What’s on Offer

  • Competitive salary and full benefits package

  • Modern manufacturing environment with strong investment in growth

  • Opportunity to lead a critical value stream with high visibility

  • Strong culture of teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement

Manufacturing Maintenance Manager | Plant Engineer | West Chicago, IL | $116K-$130K

Job Title: Manufacturing Maintenance Manager – Plant Engineer

Travel Requirement: Not required

Visa Sponsorship: Not available

Location: West Chicago, IL (On-site)

Compensation:

  • Salary Range: $116,160 – $130,680 (USD)

  • Bonus: Annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary (discretionary)

  • Relocation Package: Full

Must-Have Qualifications:

  • Supervisory experience in a manufacturing environment

  • Experience managing a manufacturing maintenance department

  • Engineering degree in Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering

  • Minimum of 3+ years leading a plant maintenance department in an industrial manufacturing setting

Nice-to-Have Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of OSHA requirements

  • Experience with CMMS

  • Strong communication and leadership skills

Job Description:

The Manufacturing Maintenance Manager/Plant Engineer is responsible for ensuring plant equipment reliability, implementing maintenance excellence initiatives, and supporting operational efficiency. This role reports to the Plant Manager and plays a key part in plant leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Promote and ensure employee safety through compliance with environmental and safety regulations

  • Implement a reliability-centered maintenance process to improve machine uptime and operational efficiency

  • Lead maintenance teams to achieve high standards of plant condition and equipment performance

  • Develop and support technical training for maintenance personnel

  • Oversee capital projects, plant budgeting, and cost management within the maintenance department

  • Apply reliability tools to identify root causes of equipment failures and implement preventive measures

  • Collaborate with plant leadership to drive process improvements and meet operational goals

Preferred Skills & Experience:

  • Strong understanding of OSHA equipment regulations and ability to implement safety countermeasures

  • Experience leading and developing high-performing teams

  • Strong project management and organizational skills

  • Proficiency in root cause analysis techniques such as FMEA, 5Why’s, and ATS

  • Basic knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and predictive maintenance processes

  • Cost management and process optimization expertise

  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CMMS software

  • Experience with Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) or reliability-focused methodologies preferred

This company is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.

 

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Manufacturing Maintenance Manager - Plant Engineer - West Chicago, IL - $116,160 to $130,680

Manufacturing Maintenance Manager - Plant Engineer - West Chicago, IL
$116,160 to $130,680

Job Description

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Maintenance Manager/ Plant Engineer is responsible for achieving the highest level of reliability for plant equipment through committed support for the Company’s Performance System (known as SPS), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and strong ownership of the Maintenance Excellence process within their plant.

 

What you will be doing:

 

Ensure the safety of all employees by leading a comprehensive business safety process to prevent injuries.  Lead plant compliance of all federal, state and local environmental and safety regulations.

Effectively implement/maintain a reliability-centered maintenance process that drives machine uptime, improves OEE and lower operations costs by championing the business Maintenance Excellence process.

Provide department leadership to ensure the highest standards of plant condition and equipment performance are achieved and sustained.

Ensure maintenance department personnel possess the appropriate skills and are qualified and proficient. Identify and support technical training and development for department employees.

Scope and execute capital projects, participate in annual plant budgeting, manage department spend. Identify technical improvements to equipment/processes.

Apply reliability tools to determine the root cause of critical equipment failures and downtime. Identify the appropriate countermeasures and solutions to improve equipment reliability and prevent recurrence.

Perform as a key member of the plant leadership team – positive communicator and problem solver - driving for plant/process improvements, meeting objectives and setting the bar for performance standards.

Support pillar continuous improvement activities.

 

 

This position is located in  Chicago DuPage, IL.

 

 

 

We'd love to hear from you if:

 

Strong understanding of OSHA requirements related to equipment in-house.  Ability to identify gaps and assist in implementing countermeasures to achieve Zero Safety Incidents.

Ability to lead and develop a highly collaborative and effective team.

Excellent organization, project management and communication skills

Proficient in Root Cause Analysis techniques (FMEA’s, 5Why’s, ATS, etc.) and developing/implementing Countermeasures to drive Zero Breakdown culture.

Process-oriented.  Can identify gaps in any process and implement solutions.

Basic mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, instrumentation, lubrication and predictive maintenance understanding

Ability to manage costs and reduce/optimize where needed

Proficient in Microsoft Office and CMMS experience

Minimum experience 3+ years of successful experience leading a plant maintenance department in an industrial manufacturing environment and/or 5+ years of supervisory manufacturing experience.

Minimum education required: Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Maintenance, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience with CMMS preferred.

Experience in TPM or Reliability field preferred.

 

 

Compensation: 

 

The annual base salary range for this role is from $116,160 to $130,680, plus annual target bonus of 12.5% of base salary.

 

If applicable…An annual bonus is awarded to eligible employees upon attaining various business and individual goals as defined by the Company and the department leader.  This annual bonus is discretionary, and the Company has sole discretion to determine the amount of the award.

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