Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Finishing Systems For more than 100 years, Modine has solved the toughest thermal management challenges for mission-critical applications. Our purpose of Engineering a Cleaner, Healthier World™ means we are always evolving our portfolio of technologies to provide the latest heating, cooling, and ventilation solutions. Through the hard work of more than 11,000 employees worldwide, our Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments advance our purpose with systems that improve air quality, reduce energy and water consumption, lower harmful emissions, enable cleaner running vehicles, and use environmentally friendly refrigerants. Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin (U.S.), with operations in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Finishing Systems will be the technical owner for industrial finishing processes supporting production operations. This role will focus on powder coating, E-coat, and liquid UV top coat systems, with responsibility for process stability, quality performance, equipment capability, improvements, and cross-functional engineering support. The position will work closely with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Environmental, Safety, Design Engineering, and external suppliers to support launches, resolve process issues, and improve throughput, cost, and first-pass yield. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Serve as the subject matter expert for powder coat, E-coat, and liquid UV top coat finishing systems. Develop, optimize, and sustain finishing processes including pretreatment, wash/rinse stages, coating application, material handling, curing, and inspection. Establish and maintain process parameters for film thickness, bath chemistry, conductivity, pH, temperature, line speed, cure profiles, color, gloss, adhesion, and appearance requirements. Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for finishing defects such as orange peel, poor adhesion, craters, fisheyes, dirt contamination, runs, sags, color variation, and insufficient film build. Coordinate installation, startup, commissioning, and process validation for finishing equipment and related support systems. Partner with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Environmental, and Safety teams to maintain uptime, improve compliance, and reduce rework and scrap. Write equipment, tooling, and process specifications for items such as powder booths, E-coat tanks, spray systems, ovens, washers, pretreatment systems, conveyors, filtration, and exhaust systems. Support new product launches and APQP activities by validating coating processes, defining process controls, and ensuring parts meet customer and internal finish requirements. Analyze process data, defect trends, downtime, and material usage to identify improvement opportunities and implement corrective actions. Manage finishing-related capital and continuous improvement projects, including AFEs, schedules, cost control, vendor coordination, and project closeout. Apply Lean Manufacturing principles to improve throughput, labor utilization, transfer efficiency, material usage, and overall finishing line performance.
Required Education & Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering; preferably in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, or Electrical Engineering.5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in a related technical field, with direct experience supporting industrial finishing systems.
Hands-on experience with powder coating, E-coat, and liquid UV topcoat processes is required.
Working knowledge of pretreatment chemistries, bath control, rinse systems, spray application, film build, ovens, cure profiles, adhesion testing, and cosmetic appearance requirements.
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot finishing defects and process variation using structured problem-solving and root cause analysis methods.
Experience writing equipment specifications, process standards, work instructions, control plans, and validation documentation for finishing operations.
Experience supporting the installation, startup, and improvement of coating lines, booths, ovens, conveyors, washers, and automated manufacturing equipment.
Ability to work independently on multiple projects of varying complexity and magnitude while coordinating effectively with cross-functional teams.
Experience coordinating AFEs, project schedules, vendor activities, cost tracking, and project implementation for assigned projects.
Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles and experience with Kaizen or similar continuous improvement methods is required.
Experience with APQP or structured launch processes to support new products, process changes, and customer requirements.
Comprehensive knowledge of Solid Edge, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar CAD software, along with working knowledge of Windows-based computer systems.
Modine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Modine provides a competitive benefit package, which could include paid vacation, short term disability, 401(k), health, dental, vision, life insurance, flex spending benefits, tuition reimbursement, Health Savings Account and much more. Human Resources will provide more detail upon your hiring. This position is not eligible for any form of sponsorship (e.g. OPT or H1B visa status) now or in the future. Only individuals authorized to work in the United States now and for the foreseeable future will be considered for this position.
