Principal Coating Engineer - Coating Center of Excellence Leader

At Re:

Build Optimation, we specialize in delivering custom-engineered process equipment and automated systems to clients across the globe. With nearly 40 years of experience in complex chemical process systems, we have built a reputation for precision, reliability, and innovation. Our multidisciplinary team of 70+ engineers, designers, and programmers, combined with 150,000 square feet of fabrication space and over 70 skilled tradespeople, allows us to provide full turnkey solutions—from initial concept through fabrication, installation, and commissioning.

As part of Re:

Build Manufacturing, we maximise the strength of a national industrial powerhouse while maintaining the agility and personalized service of a specialized firm. We serve industries ranging from traditional and green energy to chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, glass, and advanced manufacturing, offering tailored solutions that optimize efficiency and performance.

At Re:

Build Optimation, we believe in a collaborative approach, working closely with our clients to develop solutions that align with their unique operational goals. Our deep industry expertise and end-to-end capabilities make us the ideal partner for companies seeking groundbreaking automation, process control, and engineered systems.

We are seeking a highly accomplished Coating Center of Excellence Leader to serve as our technical authority in advanced coating technologies while driving operational excellence and business growth.

This role blends deep technical expertise with strategic leadership. You will be responsible for advanced coating operations, support business development initiatives, and lead innovation across solution milling, mixing, web surface treatment, and analytical characterization.

Our Coating Center of Excellence Leader delivers three core services:

• Technical consulting
• Operations and technical training
• Toll coating services

This is a hands-on leadership role — equally comfortable in the lab, on the production floor, and in front of customers.

• Lead development and optimization of coating processes, including ink formulation and process parameters
• Direct surface treatment strategies (corona, plasma, flame, chemical priming)
• Supervise advanced analytical testing (Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), rheology, mechanical analysis) and correlate results to coating performance
• Design and implement Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies and predictive models
• Develop transfer functions between lab and production equipment
• Drive continuous improvement using Lean principles and statistical process control

• Provide expert consultation on coating formulations and material compatibility
• Collaborate on equipment design, scale-up, and commissioning
• Support performance optimization across manufacturing operations

• Identify and develop new business opportunities
• Translate customer needs into technical solutions and proposals
• Support pricing strategies and value propositions in partnership with Sales & Marketing
• Represent the company at industry events and technical forums
• Expand capabilities and grow the coating services portfolio

• Master’s degree or PhD or equivalent experience in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
• 12+ years of industrial coating experience
• Expertise in:
  • Ink formulation and coating methodologies
  • Surface treatment technologies
  • Drying technologies
  • High shear mixing, media milling, and laboratory mixing systems
  • Analytical characterization methods
• Strong experience with statistical process control (SPC) and Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Demonstrated technical authority (patents, publications, or deep multi-system experience preferred)
• Experience in process safety and manufacturing environments

• A hands-on technical expert who can move seamlessly from lab experimentation to production scale
• A data-driven decision maker with strong quantitative and analytical skills
• A natural collaborator who thrives cross-functionally
• Comfortable engaging directly…