Process Engineer R & D
Owens Corning · West Chicago, IL
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Process
- Base pay
- $78k–$100k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level process role at Owens Corning (industrial) in West Chicago, IL. The R&D Process Engineer (MPI) is a hands-on technical role responsible for developing, scaling, and industrializing new materials, formulations, and manufacturing processes for wood fiber and composite door products.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Root cause, SPC, Control plans, DOE
- Base pay
- $78k–$100k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Process Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $78k–$100k. This one lists $78k–$100k.
Median of the low and high ends of 13 live postings that list pay, out of 23 process engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 22 other live process postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $78k–$107k, from 12 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Lean 57%
- ✓ Root cause 52%
- ✓ Six Sigma 43%
- ✓ SPC 39%
- FMEA 35%
- Tooling 30%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at Owens Corning
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Owens Corning in West Chicago
1 other open role at this site.
- Facilities Maintenance Supervisor · Reliability · Supervisor
Full description from Owens CorningAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
- ✓Embed Design for Safety and risk assessment into all new process development
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering or related field
- ✓2+ years of experience in process development, manufacturing engineering, or industrial R&D
- ✓Demonstrated experience scaling processes from lab or pilot to production
- ✓Strong working knowledge of DOE, SPC, and structured problem‑solving tools
- ✓Proven ability to work hands‑on in manufacturing environments, not just in labs
- ✓Strong technical writing, documentation, and communication skills
Preferred Experience
- ✓Experience with wood fiber, composites, polymers, resins, adhesives, or press‑based manufacturing
- ✓Familiarity with continuous or batch manufacturing processes
- ✓Experience supporting plant trials, startups, or technology transfers
- ✓Background in Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma
- ✓Comfort working in ambiguity and early‑stage development environments
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning is a branded building products leader with three complementary market-leading businesses providing roofing, insulation, and doors primarily for residential markets in North America and Europe. The company operates with an integrated go-to-market strategy and a unique set of OC Advantages™ – including its iconic brand, unparalleled commercial strength, leading technology, and winning cost position – to help customers win and grow in the market. Owens Corning is committed to helping build better and achieve more through winning partnerships, leading performance, and engaging people. Founded in 1938 and headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Owens Corning is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: OC). For more information, visit www.owenscorning.com .
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Purpose of the job
The R&D Process Engineer (MPI) is a hands-on technical role responsible for developing, scaling, and industrializing new materials, formulations, and manufacturing processes for wood fiber and composite door products. This role sits at the critical interface between R&D and Operations, owning the transition from lab and pilot validation to full scale manufacturing, while ensuring process robustness, safety, quality, and cost effectiveness. Success in this role requires strong experimental discipline, plant level troubleshooting capability, and the ability to translate data into executable manufacturing solutions.
JOB
Process & Technology Development
- •Lead scale-up of new formulations, materials, and processes from lab and pilot equipment to full scale production lines
- •Translate R&D learnings into manufacturing ready process windows, control plans, and operating standards
Data Driven Problem Solving & Optimization
- •Lead structured root cause analysis using DOE, SPC, Six Sigma, and Lean methodologies
- •Diagnose and resolve process instability, quality defects, yield loss, and throughput limitations
- •Design, execute, and document plant trials, including clear hypotheses, success criteria, and conclusions
- •Use statistical and process data to drive decisions—not assumptions
Manufacturing & Plant Interface
- •Provide direct technical support to manufacturing teams during trials, startups, and sustained production
- •Partner with Operations to implement process improvements, debottlenecking, and other process related initiatives
- •Ensure smooth transfer from development into operations, including training, documentation, and risk mitigation
- •Travel to manufacturing sites as needed to support trials and troubleshooting
Safety, Compliance & Sustainability
- •Ensure all development and manufacturing activities comply with Owens Corning safety standards and regulatory
Project Execution & Collaboration
- •Manage process development and capital projects from concept through implementation. Own end to end execution of process development and scale up projects, from concept through pilot validation and manufacturing implementation
- •Plan and execute plant trials and process changes, including coordination of resources, materials, equipment availability, and cross functional support
- •Track and manage project risks, assumptions, and dependencies, escalating issues early with clear data-based recommendations
- •Collaborate cross functionally with R&D, Design, Quality, Operations, Maintenance, and Sourcing
- •Communicate technical results clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including leadership
- •Ensure projects transition smoothly from development into operations with clear documentation, training, and ownership handoff
JOB