Senior Finishing Process Engineer - Industrial Powder Coat & Systems Up to $130,485 Base Salary + Relocation Package

• Knoxville, TN Area
• 100% Onsite
• Full-Time /

Direct Hire Compensation & Earnings:

Baseline starting salary up to $130,485 (commensurate with Level II or Senior technical depth), backed by comprehensive corporate benefits and relocation assistance.

Company Profile & Exceptional Stability:

Direct-hire seat with a globally recognized, family-owned $1B+ commercial

HVAC OEM

celebrating 75+ years of operational excellence with a history of only one single layoff in 76 years.

High-Impact Expansion Project:

Serve as the primary finishing Subject Matter Expert (SME) for a multi-million-dollar campus expansion in the Knoxville area, designing and optimizing brand-new automated coating lines.

Travel Profile & Onboarding:

100% on-site role in Knoxville, TN with 30-50% initial regional travel to sister facilities during early onboarding and line testing, significantly reducing once the new facility is operational.

Strict Requirements:

U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency (Green Card); 2-Year Associate Degree required (4-Year Engineering Degree preferred); 3-5 years (Level II) or 6-9+ years (Senior) of dedicated industrial wet paint/powder coating engineering experience. If you are a Manufacturing Engineer with specialized expertise in industrial paint and powder coating operations, this direct-hire role offers a high-impact seat within an expanding global leader. Our client is a family-owned, $1B+ commercial HVAC and air-movement equipment manufacturer that has been in business for over 75 years. Known for an award-winning culture that heavily reinvests profits back into state-of-the-art facilities, new equipment, and employee development, the company maintains extraordinary career stability. This position sits at the forefront of a multi-million-dollar expansion as the company builds out its campus in the Knoxville, TN area. Serving as the primary subject matter expert for all powder coating and finishing operations, you will lead equipment selection, process design, and line optimization for brand-new, high-efficiency manufacturing systems. What You Will Be Doing (Daily Responsibilities) Serve as Subject Matter Expert (SME): Provide primary technical leadership, daily troubleshooting, and training for all industrial powder coating, pre-treatment, and finishing operations.

Lead Capital & Equipment Projects:

Identify, justify, specify, and oversee the installation of new coating line equipment, spray booths, curing ovens, and automated material handling systems.

Drive Process & Line Optimization:

Establish operational KPIs, optimize chemical/coating utilization, improve line speeds, reduce scrap, and advance environmental sustainability goals.

Cross-Functional Design Alignment:

Collaborate directly with Product Design Engineering to evaluate parts for finish quality, powder adhesion, and manufacturability.

Implement Lean & Safety Standards:

Lead 5S, safety, and Lean continuous improvement initiatives, authoring standardized operating procedures (SOPs) and line workflows.

Support Initial Site Ramp-Up:

Participate in temporary regional travel (30%-50%) to sister facilities during early-phase onboarding and line testing prior to full Knoxville operational launch. What We Are Looking For (Requirements & Qualifications)

Level II Requirements:

3 to 5 years of manufacturing engineering experience with active hands-on proficiency in CAD, Lean tools, and industrial finishing systems.

Senior Level Requirements:

6 to 9+ years of manufacturing engineering experience with deep expertise in powder coat line architecture, advanced plant layout, and SAP/ERP systems.

Powder Coating Technicality:

Proven capability troubleshooting coat thickness, surface pre-treatment chemistries, cure times, conveyor dynamics, and finish quality standards.

Educational Foundation:

Associate Degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, or related discipline required; 4-year Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (BSME, BSIE, or similar) strongly preferred.

Travel & Relocation Readiness:

Willingness to travel 30%-50% during initial ramp-up phases and relocate to the Knoxville, TN area within a 6-month window (relocation assistance provided).

Work Authorization:

Must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder. Preferred Technical Assets (Bonus Skills)

Advanced ERP Proficiency:

Direct experience navigating and managing routing/BOM data within SAP environments.

Chemical Pre-treatment Depth:

Specific experience managing multi-stage chemical wash and surface preparation chemistry for sheet metal parts.

Formal Lean & Quality Certifications:

Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification and experience leading Kaizen events for finishing lines. Please apply here or at impactsolutions.com/opportunities where you can see and apply for any of our open positions. #LI-JK1