Surface Finishing Process Development Engineer

Location: Louisville Metro Area, On-site

Our client is expanding a critical engineering capability focused on bringing advanced surface finishing technologies from development into real-world manufacturing. This is a highly visible opportunity for a technically strong engineer who enjoys solving complex chemistry and process challenges, partnering across research and production teams, and helping shape the future of high-performance manufacturing. The role is ideal for someone who wants meaningful ownership, exposure to senior technical leadership, and the chance to influence how new finishing technologies are commercialized at scale.

This Role Offers

• Competitive compensation with flexibility based on experience and technical depth.
• A true process development role with strong visibility across engineering and manufacturing.
• The opportunity to help scale emerging finishing technologies into production.
• A collaborative environment where scientific rigor and practical execution both matter.

Focus

• Lead development and scale-up efforts for advanced surface finishing processes in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Design and execute experiments that improve process capability, deposit performance, and manufacturing readiness.
• Apply data-driven analysis and technical evaluation methods to support process optimization, quality improvement, and informed decision-making.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to transition promising lab work into robust production methods.
• Analyze operational and process-related challenges, identify underlying causes, and implement effective solutions that support performance, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Support process qualification, documentation, and implementation for new finishing technologies.
• Contribute both in laboratory settings and on the manufacturing floor, with a strong sense of ownership and urgency.

Skill Set

• Strong experience with reel-to-reel plating or comparable continuous finishing processes.
• Strong technical aptitude with the ability to understand complex processes, evaluate performance, and resolve challenging operational issues.
• Experience moving technologies from development or pilot work into full production.
• Hands-on familiarity with characterization methods used to assess deposited materials.
• Background in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, metallurgy, or a related technical field.
• Ability to work independently, communicate clearly, and collaborate effectively across technical teams.
• Precious metals or silver finishing experience is helpful.
• Advanced education is welcome when paired with meaningful manufacturing exposure.

About Blue Signal:  

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