Optimization Engineer (Des Moines)

Optimization Engineer

Location: Des Moines, IA

Department: Manufacturing Engineering / Process Engineering

Reports To: Technical Engineering Manager

Position Summary

The Cure Optimization Engineer is responsible for improving the performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of the tire curing process through data-driven process optimization and engineering projects. This position will lead initiatives focused on cure cycle optimization, bladder life improvement, curing equipment performance, and process capability while working closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Maintenance, Technical Services, and Product Engineering.

The primary objective of this role is to reduce manufacturing costs, improve productivity, increase press capacity, and enhance product quality by optimizing the curing process across all tire product lines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
• 1 – 5 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience
• Experience in rubber processing, tire manufacturing, polymers, or process optimization is preferred
• Strong analytical and statistical problem-solving skills
• Experience with SPC, DOE, Six Sigma, Minitab, Power BI, or similar analytical tools is desirable

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead cure optimization projects that improve throughput, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Develop and implement cure cycle improvements that reduce cure times while maintaining product performance and regulatory compliance.
• Optimize bladder selection, operating parameters, and replacement intervals to maximize bladder life and reduce consumable costs.
• Analyze bladder failures and implement corrective actions to eliminate recurring issues.
• Utilize cure alarm data to identify process abnormalities, equipment issues, and opportunities for preventive action.
• Develop dashboards and KPI reporting for curing process performance.
• Work closely with production personnel to improve process consistency and reduce variation.
• Support new tire introductions by developing optimized curing parameters.
• Partner with Production and Quality to reduce cure-related scrap and warranty risks.
• Support Maintenance in improving curing press reliability and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Standardize curing best practices across all curing operations.
• Document process changes and update manufacturing specifications.

Key Performance Indicators

• Cure-related scrap reduction
• Bladder life improvement
• Cure cycle time reduction
• Press throughput improvement
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Cost savings from cure optimization projects
• Reduction in cure alarms and process variation
• Yield improvement
• Reduction in consumable costs

Required Competencies

• Strong engineering and analytical skills
• Statistical data analysis
• Root Cause Analysis
• Project management
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Continuous improvement mindset
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously