Senior Extrusion Technician, R&D

Location: 4870 West 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT

Summary:

As the Senior Extrusion Technician, R&D, you will support the development of innovative medical devices by producing precision plastic tubing used in Stryker products. You will independently set up and operate extrusion equipment, troubleshoot complex processes, and partner closely with engineers and technicians to meet new product design requirements. This role requires strong technical expertise, critical thinking, and a commitment to maintaining tight tolerances and high-quality standards that ultimately support better patient outcomes.

What You Will Do:

• Independently set up, operate, troubleshoot, and tear down single-screw extrusion systems, including line clearance, string-up, tooling selection, and achieving required concentricity and dimensional tolerances.
• Partner with R&D engineers, scientists, and technicians to develop and optimize extrusion processes for new products, providing technical expertise and recommendations throughout development.
• Monitor extrusion processes and perform product, tooling, and material inspections, including tubing measurements, tooling inspections, resin preparation, moisture analysis, and packaging.
• Troubleshoot process and equipment issues, perform root cause analysis, recommend corrective actions, and develop temperature profiles and other process parameters to meet design requirements.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings, technical documentation, Lot History Records, routers, and travelers while maintaining compliance with cGMP and applicable quality system requirements.
• Apply knowledge of polymer rheology, plastic materials, basic screw design, tooling and die calculations, and manufacturing processes to support extrusion development and process optimization.
• Create, review, and improve work instructions, operating procedures, technical reports, and process documentation to support consistent and efficient operations.
• Serve as a technical resource by training and supporting lower-level Extrusion Technicians, working independently with minimal supervision, and sharing technical knowledge and best practices.

What You Need:

Required:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 3+ years of work experience in extrusion processes (preferably medical extrusion), or relevant technical training
• Ability to lift 50 lbs. routinely; ability to lift 75 lbs. occasionally
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical documents
• Experience working with Lot History Records

Preferred:

• Knowledge of crosshead helicoid design
• Basic rheology and polymer science understanding