Process Engineer

Process Engineer – Westlake – Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a Westlake division on the NYSE (WLK), is one of North America’s largest manufacturers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and fittings. With 23 manufacturing and distribution locations, the company serves municipal water and sewer, plumbing, water well, pool and spa, and agricultural and turf irrigation markets. Westlake is an industry leader in product development, featuring Certa‑Lok® spline‑lock technology and systems focused on building a better foundation.

For more information, visit and follow Westlake on Linked In and Facebook.

The Process Engineer will be heavily involved in daily operations at the Abbotsford, BC plant and is a key member of the plant leadership team. The role leads the manufacturing program for plant output optimization, downtime reduction, scrap reduction, process control, and material usage optimization. Responsibilities include providing problem‑solving consultation, developing engineering procedures, standard operating procedures, training materials, and engineering support for capital projects.

• Support operations by leading and directing technical activities necessary to solve problems encountered in any part of the facility.
• Develop and maintain process guidelines (SOP/SOC) and training programs for the integration of new employees or role changes, and lead Westlake’s Management of Change Process covering health, safety, environmental and employee training requirements for new products and systems.
• Conduct data analysis of scrap, downtime, line rates, and material usage; prepare charts and reports to assist the plant team in making data‑driven decisions to improve results.
• Continually strive to reduce process variation (improve process capability) to ensure consistent product quality and adherence to manufacturing and agency standards.
• Lead cost‑reduction initiatives through materials, product, and process improvements; facilitate brainstorming sessions and develop action plans for Westlake’s Continuous Improvement Process and Profit Improvement Process (PIP), targeting utilities consumption, cycle times, scrap, downtime, material usage variance, and direct labor.
• Utilize a variety of continuous improvement tools such as Lean Manufacturing/Toyota Production Systems, Six Sigma, 5S/6S, Total Productive Maintenance, Kaizen Events, Value Stream Maps, Design of Experiments, FMEAs, and Advanced Problem‑Solving.
• Participate in updating manufacturing standards as a result of performance improvements.
• Develop work‑cell layouts to optimize material flow and support 5S and visual management initiatives.
• Initiate new equipment and technologies to maintain the company’s competitive advantage; prepare detailed scope definitions, plant capability assessments, throughput and equipment control requirements, function block diagrams, process parameters, data acquisition needs, and capital expense justification. Oversee RFQ documents and execution timeline plans, including facility preparation, installation, HSE, training, and production ramp‑up.

• Participate and lead others in near‑miss, hazard, and incident reporting.
• Participate and/or cooperate with the JHSC to improve safety.
• Perform housekeeping activities as required.
• Comply with Work Safe BC and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
• Comply with Health and Safety rules, policies, and procedures of the division.

• Ensure own conduct and that of direct reports is in accordance with Westlake’s Code of Business Ethics and the Workplace Discrimination/Harassment Policy.
• Communicate with employees, plant, and supervisory staff as required.
• Build participative working relationships with plant and management personnel.
• Comply with company rules, regulations, and policies.

• B.S. degree (or equivalent) in Electrical, Mechanical, or Materials Science Engineering, combined with at least 5 years of manufacturing experience; a preference for increasing experience in high‑volume, continuous manufacturing environments.
• Process…