Production Engineer at Atalco Gramercy Operations – Gramercy, Louisiana

Position Summary

The Production Engineer supports day-to-day manufacturing operations, ensuring equipment and processes run safely, efficiently, and reliably. This role focuses on real-time troubleshooting, daily optimization, and supporting both immediate operational needs and short-cycle continuous improvement initiatives. The Production Engineer partners closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering to improve throughput, reliability, yield, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

1. Daily Production Support

· Monitor production performance and troubleshoot issues impacting safety, quality, cost, and throughput.

· Serve as the first engineering point of contact for operators, maintenance, and shift supervisors.

· Provide on-the-floor support during startups, shutdowns, changeovers, and abnormal operating situations.

· Support rapid response to equipment failures, process disruptions, and variability events.

· Track and communicate short-term production losses.

2. Equipment & Process Optimization

· Analyze machine and process performance to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and reliability gaps.

· Optimize equipment settings, control parameters, and operating conditions to improve output and reduce variability.

· Support preventive and predictive maintenance planning with Maintenance and Reliability teams.

· Assist in developing and updating SOPs, work instructions, troubleshooting guides, and operator best practices.

3. Quality & Compliance

· Collaborate with Quality to investigate defects, deviations, and customer complaints.

· Lead or support short-term root cause analysis using structured methods (5Why, Fishbone, DMAIC).

· Implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to reduce repeat issues.

· Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and quality standards (ISO, GMP, internal policies).

· Maintain accurate production documentation and support audit readiness.

4. Occupational & Process Safety

The Production Engineer plays a key role in ensuring safe daily operations by maintaining compliance with established operating limits, supporting frontline hazard mitigation, and reinforcing a strong safety culture. While the Process Engineer owns process design, PSI, and long-term process safety governance, the Production Engineer ensures that daily operations remain within those engineered constraints.

Key Responsibilities

· Maintain Safe Daily Operation: Ensure the unit operates within established operating envelopes, safe operating limits (SOLs), and critical process parameters defined by the Process Engineer.

· Frontline Hazard Identification & Mitigation: Identify unsafe conditions, abnormal trends, and early indicators of process upsets. Escalate deviations promptly and support Operations in implementing immediate corrective actions.

· Support PSM Execution (Operations-Facing Elements): Participate in PHAs/HAZOPs as an operations representative; support MOC implementation by reviewing operational impacts, training operators, and validating readiness; ensure procedures, SOPs, and operator instructions reflect current safe practices.

· Abnormal Situation Management: Provide real-time engineering support during upsets, shutdowns, startups, and emergency situations.

· Incident Response & Short-Term RCA: Lead or support immediate investigations for safety-related deviations, near misses, and minor incidents. Implement short-term corrective actions and hand off chronic/systemic issues to the Process Engineer.

· Operator Training & Safety Reinforcement: Coach operators on safe operating practices, alarm response, and recognition of abnormal conditions.

· Field Presence & Safety Leadership: Maintain strong presence on the production floor to observe conditions, verify safe behaviors, and support safe execution of work.

5. Continuous Improvement

· Lead improvement projects to increase efficiency, throughput, yield, and reduce downtime and waste.

· Apply Lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, value stream mapping, and waste elimination.

· Utilize Six Sigma, SPC, DOE, and data analysis to reduce variability and enhance quality.

· Support initiatives to improve OEE and other operational KPIs.

6. Project Support

· Support small to medium engineering projects, including equipment upgrades, layout changes, process improvements, and automation enhancements.

· Participate in commissioning, SAT/FAT, startup, and operator training for new equipment or process changes.

· Work cross-functionally on new product introductions (NPI) or process transitions to ensure manufacturability and smooth startup.

7. Data & Reporting

· Track, analyze, and communicate performance metrics, including throughput, downtime, scrap, OEE, cycle time, and efficiency trends.

· Prepare daily/weekly production reports, identify performance gaps, and recommend corrective actions.

· Leverage data to prioritize improvement activities and guide decision-making.

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Chemical, or related Engineering.

· 1–5+ years of experience in production, manufacturing, process engineering, or related fields.

· Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive improvements.

· Hands-on approach with frequent presence on the production floor.

· Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

· Ability to understand and interpret technical drawings, P&IDs, equipment documentation, and specifications.

· Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Preferred Qualifications

· Experience in high-volume manufacturing, food production, automotive, medical device, or similar industries.

· Lean or Six Sigma Green Belt certification.

· Experience with MES systems, OEE tracking tools, or ERP platforms.

· Basic understanding of automation, PLCs, control systems, or machine programming.

Core Competencies

· Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

· Technical troubleshooting and root cause thinking.

· Attention to detail.

· Data-driven decision-making.

· Effective communication and collaboration.

· Continuous improvement mindset.

· Ability to prioritize and work in a fast-paced environment.

Success Metrics

· Reduced equipment downtime and improved reliability.

· Increased OEE (availability, performance, quality).

· Faster response and resolution to production issues.

· Improved throughput, yield, quality, and cost performance.

· Reduced scrap, defects, and waste.

· Successful implementation of corrective actions and improvement projects.

· Strong support and partnership with production teams.

Work Authorization

This role requires authorization to work in the United States. (Can specify if the company would sponsor H1-B for this role)

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Required Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Chemical, or related Engineering.

· 1–5+ years of experience in production, manufacturing, process engineering, or related fields.

· Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and drive improvements.

· Hands-on approach with frequent presence on the production floor.

· Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, SPC, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

· Ability to understand and interpret technical drawings, P&IDs, equipment documentation, and specifications.

Strong communication and teamwork skills