Furnace and Batch Engineer

About the role

IKO Industries Ltd., a manufacturer of roofing and building materials headquartered in Canada, is hiring a Furnace and Batch Engineer at its IKO Glass Fiber facility in Chester, South Carolina. The position is full time and sits in the Production department. The engineer is responsible for operating, controlling and maintaining the furnace and forehearth, keeping the process safe, efficient and cost effective.

Key responsibilities

• Promote and maintain IKO safety goals, lead safety and housekeeping efforts and act as a technical resource for the organization.
• Use SPC methods and Six Sigma to reduce variation and drive continuous improvement.
• Meet established goals and objectives and ensure customer satisfaction through process control and standardization.
• Operate, control and maintain the furnace and forehearth, monitor energy use and recommend the most cost-effective energy input.
• Monitor furnace and forehearth condition, follow power-outage and glass-leak procedures, and write and maintain job instructions, process setup sheets and check sheets.
• Initiate cost-reduction ideas in the fiberglass melting and forming process and run product and process improvement trials.
• Manage multiple projects at once, document process changes and ensure setups are followed daily.
• Furnace functions: maximize furnace life through inspection, repair and maintenance, order and inventory supplies, train furnace technicians, trial new raw materials and gather data.
• Maintain the melting temperature profile and key process parameters, keep gas-to-oxygen ratios correct with thermox, keep batch formulas and verify batch weighing calibration.
• Profile and clean gas and oxy burners, operate and calibrate the electric boost system, and read opacity.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in ceramic, mechanical or chemical engineering preferred, with at least five years of furnace and manufacturing experience.
• Green Belt or Black Belt certification preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to give simple, accurate instructions.
• Ability to work in a high-temperature environment, lift up to 50 lbs, climb ladders and work at heights.
• Some travel required.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and health and benefit plan.
• Matched retirement savings program.
• A growing organization focused on diversity and inclusion.