Leader of Material PI Group

The Company

Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental delivers top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2023, the Tires group sector generated sales of 14 billion euros. Continental's tire sector employs more than 56,000 people worldwide and has 20 production and 16 development sites.  Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental delivers top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2023, the Tires group sector generated sales of 14 billion euros. Continental's tire sector employs more than 56,000 people worldwide and has 20 production and 16 development sites.

Are you ready to shape the future with us?

In this role, you will lead a team to industrialize and optimize compounds, raw materials, mixing processes and curing specifications in the plant under consideration of specific requirements from customers, R&D, local quality standards and factory targets. Ensure close working interface as business partner between plant and R&D. Provide technical support by triggering the necessary industrialization activities and business improvement measures.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

• Ensure the industrialization and optimization of compounds, materials and curing specification within the boundary conditions of the customers and R&D to fulfill plant processability and cost requirements.
• Write, modify or update work instructions and facilitate close cooperation to QM.
• Assess plant readiness based on future R&D requirements in terms of invest and capacity for compounds.
• Translates R&D requirements into tangible impacts on the plant ( in terms of invest, capacity).
• Ensure that the production can produce the raw material and compounds within the plant goals.
• Monitoring the compound properties and specification optimization for compound stability & improvement if necessary.
• Support production and QM trouble shooting activities.
• Decide about release or blocking of compounds related to the physicals defined by R&D and QM.
• Decision about the usage of process scrap and rework/work off.
• Ensure the availability of new compounds and materials for experimental tire building.
• Ensure that all the compounds and materials are within the required specification.
• Ensure the appropriate decision about release, recycling or other use of non conforming compounds, fabrics and cured tires.
• Ensure the follow-up of the introduced product during the RN phase.
• Ensure the RNs are closed within the timing given by R&D and within the 441 success criteria.
• Offer technical alternatives which are optimized for process capabilities, cost, minimized rework and comply with the established Release Notice Procedure and QMD Standards.
• Proposal for new product improvement measures (PIP) items for Material, Process and Technology.
• Realization of product improvement measures (PIP) for Material, Process and Technology including standardization and consolidation (complexity reduction).
• Ensure the availability of specification.
• Support the PI Manager in understanding new compounding technologies in order to provide operational support for new product lines and strategical growth plan of the company.
• Assess plant readiness based on future R&D requirements in terms of invest and capacity for compounds.
• Translates R&D requirements into tangible impacts on the plant ( in terms of invest, capacity, capability).
• Local Business Key User for System/Process/Tool CBS3 and GUTS material.
• Coordinate local requirements with Central Key User and the Competence Center. Support and coordinate problem solving for functional user questions.
• Collect technical user problems and address them to the support level; inform users about solved technical problems; summarize user change requests (user suggestions for improvements).
• Development of local end user documentation.
• Participate in Key User workshops, Business Acceptance tests and Key User Trainings. Integration into the world-wide Key User community in terms of continuous system improvement and knowledge / experience transfer.
• Support Know-how transfer to and training of the local end users in the standard processes and usage of System/Process/Tool CBS3 and GUTS material.
• Plan, organize, assign, review and evaluate work performance, training & development of Material PI Team.
• Recruitment & development of methods to retain specialized skills.
• Managing and budgeting of the PI MAT department resources taking into account given company and factory strategies
• Ensure parity of the actual plant specification with CBS3/GUTS system.
• Report regularly results of current testing and planning of future activities.
• Coordinate the cooperation between PI MAT, PI CVT departments and other plant and R+D incl. 4-4-1 approach.
• Share Know how, lessons learned inside the PI and other plant departments.
• Actively participate in CBT meetings  (mainly CBT3)

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

• Chemical engineer or Chemist
•  3 years in Material Product Industrialization department of plant or R&D compound development
• Strong Communication and Analytical skills
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas now or in the future for this job posting.

THE ENVIRONMENT

• Safety is our highest priority and safety procedures / guidelines must be always adhered to. This includes safety wear such as company issued/approved steel toe shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, etc.  as needed in the required areas.  
• The job is within a non-climate-controlled environment where you will be exposed to temperature swings (hot/cold), forklift and pedestrian traffic, and noise.
• The role involves various physical tasks, including lifting and operating machinery, with comprehensive training provided.

THE PERKS

• Immediate Benefits 
• Paid Time Off
• Volunteer Time Of
• Tuition Assistance
• Employee Discounts, including tire discounts
• Competitive Bonus Programs
• Employes 401k Match
• Diverse & Inclusive Work Environment
• Employee Resource Groups
• Employee Assistance Program
• Future Growth Opportunities, including personal and professional
• And many more benefits that come with working for a global industry leader!

EEO-Statement:

EEO / AA / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Continental offers equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, without regard to unlawful consideration to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. In addition, as a federal contractor, Continental complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities, where they apply. To be considered, you must apply for a specific position for which Continental has a current posted job opening. Qualifying applications will be considered only for the specific opening(s) to which you apply. If you would like to be considered for additional or future job openings, we encourage you to reapply for other opportunities as they become available. Further, Continental provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability. If you need assistance in the application process, please reply to [email protected] or contact US Recruiting at 248.393.5566. This telephone line and email address are reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Please do not call about the status of your job application, if you do not require accessibility assistance or an accommodation. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or non-disability related technical issues, will not receive a call back.

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