Associate Engineer, Metal Innovation

This position will be posted for a minimum of 5 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

Further your career at Ball, a world leader in manufacturing sustainable aluminum packaging. Achieve extraordinary things when you join our team, and make a difference in your professional development, the community, and around the globe!

Ball is thrilled to receive Newsweek's 2023 Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplace award! As a sustainable product leader, we have over 16,000 global team members. From endlessly recyclable aluminum cans, and cups, to aerosol bottles, our goal is to contribute to a better community, society, and world.

Position Overview:

As an Associate Engineer, Metal Innovation, you are a key member of the Metal Innovation Engineering team,  reporting to the Manager, Metal Innovation & Engineering.   You will contribute to the success of Ball by providing technical support and project management the global innovation function related to aluminum beverage packaging. 

Your Key Areas of Responsibility Include: 

• Drive learning and expertise in methods of high speed metal forming, utilizing mechanical knowledge of both equipment and processes.
• Participate and contribute in collaborative brainstorming sessions to generate innovative concepts for improving and creating aluminum packaging solutions.
• Collaborate with the design team to produce engineering tool drawings by applying knowledge of GD&T, metrology, tool manufacturing, and machine design principles.
• Independently collaborate with suppliers to develop tooling and equipment for forming aluminum containers, including specifying designs, issuing orders, and verifying part accuracy.
• Clearly communicate updates or status of projects with internal and external customers.
• Assist in creation and documentation of innovations into finalized Intellectual Property (IP), including patents and trade secrets.
• Generate clear and concise technical reports for communication across regions as well as SOP's for internal and external use.
• Utilize structured problem‑solving and statistical methods (DOE, FMEA, cost analysis, and sample‑size validation) to evaluate designs and processes, consistently developing expertise in production‑ready product implementation.
• Assist in the creation of business cases, ROI calculations, and generation of business recommendations.
• Apply foundational project management skills to identify issues—such as resource gaps or schedule delays—and develop recovery plans to ensure projects progress on time and within budget through the Innovation Stage Gate process.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams and desire to lead group discussions and inspire others.

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or a related technical field, such as mathematics, metallurgy or physics, strongly preferred. 
• 6 months to 2 years of work related experience in high-speed can manufacturing or metal forming.
• Experience using hand held metrology equipment.
• Demonstrated skills and knowledge and abilities:  
  • Strong ability to multitask, troubleshoot, and think in a nonlinear, solutions‑focused manner.
  • Effective working independently or with geographically dispersed engineering and business teams.
  • Clear communication skills with the ability to articulate and promote project management and Stage Gate best practices.
  • Skilled at removing roadblocks by enabling others through communication, troubleshooting, and hands‑on support.
  • Capable of leading small projects and using project/program management tools such as MS Project.
  • Solid understanding of statistical principles.
  • Knowledge of tooling drawings, dimensioning, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and basic machining operations.
  • Familiarity with machine design and operation; hands‑on metal forming equipment experience is a plus.

Preferred Skills and Experience: 

• Work experience (internship, contract work, etc.) at Ball Corporation, highly preferred. 

Compensation & Benefits

• Hiring Salary Range: $79,300 -  $110,710 (Salary to be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.)
• This role will be eligible to participate in the annual incentive compensation plan.
• Ball includes a comprehensive benefits structure, please visit our  career site and  "Total Rewards" page to learn more.
• Onsite Work Environment: This position is based in Westminster, CO and requires regular in-person engagement by working on-site 5 days per week. Travel and local commute between Ball locations and other possible non-Ball locations will  be required.

When submitting your application to Ball, we encourage you to emphasize your skills, experience, and qualifications that align with the role. Under Colorado, California, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania law, you have the right to exclude or redact age-related details—such as your date of birth, school attendance dates, or graduation dates—from your resume, cover letter, CV, or other supporting documents (e.g., transcripts, certificates). 

Ball Corporation is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We actively encourage applications from everybody. All qualified job applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, aboriginality, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran status, age, political affiliation or any other non-merit characteristic. 

When you join Ball you belong to a team of over 16,000 members worldwide. Our products range from infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, cups to aerosol bottles that enable our customers to contribute to a better world. Each of us has a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion which is the foundation of our culture of belonging. Everyone at Ball is making a difference by doing what we love. Because what we create may change, but what we will always make is a difference.

Please note the advertised job title might vary from the job title on the contract due to local job title structure and global HR systems.
No agencies please.