At Trane TechnologiesTM and through our businesses including Trane® and Thermo King®, we create innovative climate solutions for buildings, homes, and transportation that challenge what’s possible for a sustainable world. We're a team that dares to look at the world's challenges and see impactful possibilities. We believe in a better future when we uplift others and enable our people to thrive at work and at home. We boldly go.

The Team:

We are hiring a Senior Plastics & Composite Engineer as part of our Materials & Chemistry Network of Excellence Team, which is part of our Global Advanced Technology Organization. The mission of the Materials & Chemistry Network of Excellence is to enable product innovation and differentiation through leading-edge materials and chemistry technologies. We do this by leveraging internal expertise and external partners to accelerate technology implementation and translation across Trane Technologies strategic business units.

The Role:

As a Senior Plastics & Composite Engineer within our Materials & Chemistry network, you will lead strategic programs that advance the application of light weight, multi-functional, and sustainable materials into Trane Technology products. You will be responsible for identifying and maturing leading materials technologies, while developing and fostering strategic partnerships. In support of our strategic business units, you will lead the application of plastics and composites for new product development, value engineering, quality, and reliability programs. Preferred location for this position is within the Thermo King Business Unit located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Alternatively, this role could also be located within our Trane Technologies facility in Davidson, NC.

Core Job Duties or Responsibilities (others may be added):

• Identify and engage strategic external partnerships with universities, national labs, and other companies to advance technologies towards commercialization for use in our products.
• Manage process of submitting abstracts, formal proposals, and execution of external funding opportunities that mature and advance technologies towards commercialization within our products.
• Establish and manage technical relationships with external resin suppliers, molders, tooling manufacturers, and testing labs to meet project deliverables.
• Deploy developed technologies and capabilities into new product development programs.
• Manage and execute on required deliverables for new product development projects, quality/reliability projects, and cost improvement programs that involve design and application of plastic and composite components.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously while also supporting short-term sustaining engineering needs from the business unit (failure analysis, supply disruption, quality issues, general consulting).
• Use appropriate analytical and test methods in designing parts, selecting appropriate manufacturing materials and processes, and in creating test plans to ensure that the product meets or exceeds customer's requirements.
• Manage timelines for design, fabrication, and qualification of plastic/composite products.
• Facilitate technical design reviews as part of the product development process and facilitate external reviews with suppliers for tooling and molding of plastic/composite products.
• Identify opportunities for metal to plastic conversion to reduce weight, reduce cost, integrate parts, improve reliability, or to simplify the manufacturing and assembly process.
• Advocate for sustainability through use of tools that optimize part designs to minimize waste, evaluate use of sustainable materials for each application, and identify/mature new technologies that can help reduce our carbon footprint.
• Up to 25% travel may be required, including some international travel.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Plastics, Composites or Polymer Engineering with at least 5 years work experience in innovation, product development and/or deployment of advanced polymer based technologies is required.
• Master’s Degree is a plus.
• Mechanical Engineering with extensive experience in plastics/composites will be considered.

Essential Skills or Competencies:

• Knowledge of composite materials and demonstrated success in application of these materials.
• Must be experienced with guiding cross functional teams on the requirements needed to design, simulate, test, and validate components for long term life and durability.
• Experienced with product development processes (concept development, DFMEA, validation planning) and track record of successful implementation and commercialization of plastics and composites into products.
• Knowledge applying composites into challenging structural applications. Experience with long life on-the-road applications and products that required regulatory oversite is a plus.
• Experienced with coordinating external work with resin suppliers, molders, external labs, universities, national labs, and other external partners.
• Project management skills with an understanding of stage gate product development processes.
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical skills in order to resolve technical issues.
• Excellent verbal/written communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to elicit cooperation and influence others to drive project tactical plans and objectives.
• Deep understanding of key material properties and methods for material characterization that are required as inputs for modeling and simulation analysis.
• Ability to document and define standard work for matured processes; ability to mentor and teach others how to apply matured technologies.
• Experienced with guiding and understanding Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for part optimization with polymer-based materials.
• Self-started and quick learner, able to work with minimum supervision.
• Ability to identify root cause and implement solutions - material testing and failure analysis knowledge.
  

Annual Compensation Range is $90,000 to $140,000 annually. Disclaimer: This salary range is based on US national averages. Actual pay is a result of seniority/experience level, merit and geographic location where the actual work is performed.

We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits and programs. We are 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, pregnancy, age, marital status, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any legally protected status.