Vacuum Coater Process Engineer - Ops

Your Job

Guardian Glass is seeking a Process Engineer to join our Vacuum Coater Operations team in DeWitt, IA. In this role, you will help drive safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing performance while owning process outcomes related to quality, yield, and uptime.

Your Job

Guardian Glass is seeking a Process Engineer to join our Vacuum Coater Operations team in DeWitt, IA. In this role, you will help drive safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing performance while owning process outcomes related to quality, yield, and uptime.

This position is ideal for an engineer who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, enjoys solving complex problems, and works effectively across operations, maintenance, quality, and technical teams. While experience in thin films or vacuum coating technology is beneficial, we are primarily seeking a strong process engineer with a manufacturing mindset, analytical capability, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Our Team

Guardian is a principled-based company built on teamwork, innovation, and accountability. Our Coater team works in a highly collaborative environment where strong relationships, open communication, and shared problem-solving are critical to our success.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership of challenges, follows issues through to resolution, and works closely with others to continuously improve our operation. The most successful team members are curious, engaged, and willing to share knowledge, ask questions, and support one another. We value a team culture where people collaborate well, build trust, and leverage each other’s strengths to achieve the best results together.

What You Will Do

• Own process performance related to safety, quality, yield, uptime, and waste reduction within coater operations.
• Analyze and optimize process parameters using SPC, statistical methods, and data analysis tools to improve efficiency and maintain product specifications.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing and equipment issues, lead root cause investigations, and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, quality systems, training documentation, and best practices.
• Collaborate with operations, maintenance, quality, and engineering teams to drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support a 24/7/365 manufacturing environment through technical problem-solving, asset care support, and process optimization.
• Lead and support process trials, new operating practices, and implementation of manufacturing improvements.
• Train and mentor operators and technicians to improve process understanding and operational performance.
• Support customer quality investigations and implement corrective actions as needed.

• Takes ownership and accountability for operational and process results.
• Uses data-driven problem solving to improve reliability and manufacturing performance.
• Builds strong partnerships across operations, maintenance, and engineering teams.
• Maintains a strong commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

• Experience working in a manufacturing, industrial, technical, or operations-focused environment.
• Aptitude for troubleshooting process, equipment, or production-related issues.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across operations, maintenance, quality, and engineering teams.
• Demonstrated initiative, adaptability, and ownership in driving results and continuous improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Manufacturing, Materials, Industrial, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Experience with glass manufacturing, coating operations, vacuum systems, or thin film technologies.
• Experience with SPC, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with automation systems, PLCs, industrial controls, or data visualization tools such as Power BI.