Sr. Engineer
Original Composites and FibersAbout Us Original Composites and Fiberglass is a global leader in glass reinforcement solutions for the composites industry. Recently separated from Owens Corning, the business now operates independently under the Praana ownership model, continuing a strong legacy of innovation, manufacturing excellence, and customer partnership. Purpose of the Role As a member of the Technology & Capital Delivery organization, the Sr. Engineer, R&D - Americas Minerals & Petrography serves as the regional technical expert for mineral raw materials, glass chemistry, petrographic analysis, and analytical characterization across the Original Composites & Fiberglass Americas manufacturing network. This role advances technical understanding of mineral systems, glass defects, raw material performance, furnace-related quality issues, and sustainability opportunities to support safe, stable, and cost-effective operations. The position partners with plant technical teams, Operations, Innovation, Quality, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and external suppliers to improve product quality, process capability, raw material utilization, and manufacturing performance. Job Responsibilities Safety Excellence Promote a culture of safety and environmental stewardship in all laboratory, plant, and field activities. Ensure compliance with applicable safety procedures, laboratory standards, and environmental requirements. Support safe execution of trials, testing, sample collection, and technical investigations. Participate in risk assessments and technical reviews associated with new materials and process changes. Minerals & Raw Material Expertise Serve as the Americas subject matter expert for minerals, raw materials, and batch constituents used in glass manufacturing. Evaluate raw material performance, consistency, purity, availability, and impact on furnace operations and product quality. Support supplier qualification, alternative source evaluations, and sustainability initiatives involving recycled and decarbonized materials. Partner with Sourcing and Operations teams on strategic mineral-related challenges and opportunities. Develop technical recommendations for material specifications, acceptance criteria, and change management. Petrography & Analytical Leadership Lead petrographic analysis and characterization of glass, defects, inclusions, refractory contamination, stones, seeds, cords, and other quality concerns. Utilize microscopy, SEM, XRD analytical tools, and laboratory techniques to determine root causes of manufacturing and product issues. Develop and maintain best practices for petrographic investigations, sample handling, documentation, and technical reporting. Interpret analytical results and communicate findings and recommended actions to plant, quality, and leadership teams. Lead petrography of OCF plants for supporting escalations analysis and training for global network Manufacturing & Process Support Provide technical support to manufacturing plants on glass chemistry, batch formulation, melting performance, and process capability. Positive impact on continuous improvement batch house projects via measurables of cycle time, reducing batch weighing variations (Cpk), and batch house maintenance/reliability across the network Support troubleshooting related to raw materials, melting, refractory interactions, and product quality. Analyze operational and laboratory data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities. Support process optimization initiatives that improve quality, productivity, sustainability, and cost competitiveness. Provide technical support during major furnace events, trials, rebuilds, startups, and material transitions as required. Innovation, Standardization & Knowledge Transfer Support development and implementation of innovative mineral technologies, recycled materials, and sustainability initiatives. Participate in research focused on raw material performance, furnace efficiency, emissions reduction, and circular econom…