Industrial R&D Technician

Westlake offers you the potential to enrich your work life and career experience in an entrepreneurial environment. We work together to enhance peoples' lives through our products and presence in the communities in which we operate.​ Westlake Pipe & Fittings, a Westlake division (NYSE:WLK), is one of the largest polyvinyl chloride pipe and fittings manufacturer in North America. With 23 manufacturing and distribution locations, the company supplies gasketed, solvent weld and restrained joint pipes and a wide range of fittings for a diverse list of markets including municipal water and sewer, plumbing, water well, pool and spa, and agricultural and turf irrigation. Westlake Pipe & Fittings is an industry leader in product development with Certa-Lok® spline-lock technology and product systems that are focused on building  A Better Foundation . To learn more, visit the website at  WestlakePipe.com  and follow us on  LinkedIn  and  Facebook .

The R&D Technician provides hands-on laboratory and engineering support to advance product development, testing, and plant initiatives. This role combines technical lab execution with administrative and project coordination responsibilities, ensuring efficient lab operations and accurate tracking of engineering activities.

R&D / Laboratory Support (Approx. 75%) Serve as the primary day-to-day lab technician supporting Engineering activities Weigh, blend, and prepare materials for development trials and testing Assemble and test pipe samples in support of R&D, product certification, and plant initiatives Perform hands-on technical work including machining, welding, and precision measurements (training provided as needed) Maintain lab organization, equipment readiness, and material inventory/flow Support prototype development and act as a technical resource for machine shop activities Administrative & Project Support (Approx. 25%) Process transactions including requisitions, purchase orders, coding, and invoice tracking Monitor and track Engineering project spend and related invoices Provide limited project coordination support, including scheduling and follow-up (approx. 1 day/week) Maintain essential administrative processes required to support site operations EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS Education background in technical field with experience in technical or trade fields (e.g., engineering technology, manufacturing, industrial technology) Hands-on experience with assembly, testing, technical construction, lab work or similar Demonstrated mechanical and technical aptitude (e.g., machining, welding, measurement tools, lab testing) Exposure to lab operations, material handling, or shop environments preferred Strong organization skills with the ability to manage both technical and administrative tasks General computer skills, experience with Microsoft Office (e.g., Excel, Outlook, Word) preferred This is a fully onsite role. Must be able to commute daily to our Leola, PA office. Occasional work will also be required at our Wayne, PA R&D office Standard office hours with some flexibility PHYSICAL DEMANDS While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds .  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

This position has a transitioning work environment.  Office/computer, manufacturing plant. The noise level in the plant environment is usually high , as normal for a manufacturing plant.  Some of the work in the operating units may require usage of required PPE including