production engineer

engineer

sales manager

intern

quality engineer

LG Chem

LG Chem taught me a great deal about the importance of production planning and organization. It was my responsibility to verify product inventory each day and manage quality verification/validation for a mechanical process in lithium ion battery production.

I managed and trained a team of eight technical operators. During the training of these operators, I verified their process knowledge and machine operation. Production quality was the most difficult part of the job to train. Communication with operators focused on thoroughly testing their knowledge of battery cell non-conformities and machine troubleshooting.

Management of technical operators much older than myself was the hardest part of my job. Communicating everything clearly and remaining open-minded to any ideas they may have to improve the process was most important. This kept the process efficient and operators happy knowing their knowledge was being utilized on an everyday basis.

The most enjoyable part of my job is learning how to troubleshoot an advanced machine and remain connected with the hands-on aspect everyday. Every morning I walk down to the production line to verify everything is running smoothly. When a problem occurs, I am in charge of diagnosing the problem and communicating with the operators the necessary steps to take to resolve the issue.

As a chemical engineer, I learned a great deal with working hands-on with a mechanical process and production planning. My knowledge of the chemical processes also allows me to diagnose non-conformities that may present problem for downstream processes.

As a young professional with applicable experience - I was eager to grow at LG Chem. I walked in hoping to build skills and contribute meaningfully in a "startup" environment. Instead, I was thrown into a chaotic environment with zero structure, no training, and expectations that were way outside the scope of the job description. 

The position did not reflect the job description. I frequently worked outside my designated responsibilities, skipped lunch daily, and stayed late almost every week to meet unrealistic demands. Despite being a salaried employee - I was expected to perform manual tasks like loading trucks after hours. Training was minimal and usually had to be translated from Korean versions. Managers avoided accountability and on-site employees were left to figure things out alone. 

Toxic culture. Low Morale, people were burned out, and leadership kept pushing. New rules were given that prevented employees from being promoted for at least 2 years on-site. The only exceptions to this rule were for Korean nationals. 

The pay did not come close to matching the stress or workload.  Looking back it feels like a complete waste of time - especially at a stage in my careers when I was hungry to learn and grow. 

Management seems half in the US and half in Korea, even though they push that Americans are leading the plant. Typical day at work was putting out fires and less on working long term improvements. Monthly inventory counts were a joke as the previous month was never correct, so the expectation was that engineers stayed very very late nights to figure it out. Safety in working around battery dissection was lax. At one point there were 3-4 meetings a day about why progress was not being made on production numbers (hint, in meetings all the time).
Management is not kind/respectful of women especially if women disagree with their plans, outlook, etc., or if women try to ask clarifying questions or point out possible issues.
The language barrier is difficult, and it shouldn't be, but many decisions were run through HQ in Korea; many discussions about issues on the ground are had in Korean, and Korean American employees were noticeably more "read-in" on situations.
The after work culture of going out for drinks, food, etc., seems like trying to carry that over from Korea, and while fun, is usually used to get young, impressionable engineers to "work hard play hard" instead of better work life balance.

LG Chem MI expects all this product with good quality to be made.  Fair.  Except not so fair when all the carts are broken and hard to push, causing knee problems.  Constant repair work orders are submitted and after 8 months of being here, this equipment is still broken.  The machines run poorly and has more down time for fixing than up time making product.  There is a huge disconnect from management and floor workers.  HR doesn't make an effort to get to know floor workers and to ask for concerns.  And even if they did, those concerns are never addressed in a meaningful way.  If no machines are running in your area, you're still expected to come in on your 12 hour shift to clean.  How much cleaning can be done when the machine isn't even running and other shifts have been doing just cleaning?  Management is disorganized from a floor worker point of view and any time you see management, it's so they can ridicule your work, nothing positive.  They will also get after you for doing what you're asked to do because they expect machines to run 24/7 even while we're trying to do our paperwork and cleaning.  It's impossible.  Not enough employees by far.  Over worked, over stressed.  The starting wage of $16 isn't worth all these cons.

I would say It is a place where a person can easily lose track of what he wants to become. Very poor management skills observed in the managers to whom i was reporting to. Micro management kills here. No space or time given for analysis phase. Tasks are evaluated for completion in terms of 0.1 hr or 0.25 hr. Requirements for software coding never freeze. I found Hardware team was the only group which was well organized on certain aspects of problem attacking. I did not see a systems team group during my tenure in this company. I would recommend a high focus should be given by management here in deploying a very strong quality team. Deliverables going to end client or OEM are unchecked. Need a strong cop out there in the form of quality team. Tools Licenses were limited to work. All time share it with other folks. Carry all your stuff desk to desk to accomplish the assignments.

Arrogant and Rude communication Culture at LG Energy Solution. 
There was no 90 day raise and they do Not treat people with respect and act like they are the smartest Culture Company from Koreas.  
 Management treats all employees poorly unless you are “Part of the Crew/Culture”… 
 Expecting employees to drop what ever we are doing or any tasks that are supposedly High Priority and help out the Team but then expect you to complete the same workloads by deadlines that are Unrealistic!  
Leadership in Korea and Holland Headquarters’s have no clue on what really goes on in the Engineering issues and unrealistic customer demands that are unsafe…….  Rush , Rush, and they Rush but once something bad happens, they try to blame the employees and not the leadership.
Joke Company, and very ignorant of unsafe workloads and broken equipment.   

I wouldn't recommend working here as the ladder to climb is very Politically Favored and setup just like a Multi-Level Marketing Scheme and too many people at all Michigan locations get hurt on the job due to unsafe equipment. 

Management is a bunch of yes men.  People get fired for standing up for what is right and standing up for the people that work with them.   State minimum breaks, required to wear a suit in a dry room without access to water.   Breaks are regulated and watched.   Punchout for lunch.  

They promised two weeks vacation after 90 days, I got 40 hours pto.   Which they make you use if you are sick.  Constantly changing start times.  Too many process alerts.  Language barrier for people that are working on your machines.  And there is usually 5 to 10 different people messing with your machine throughout the day.   Machines never run right.   When management doesn't have a plan. You get the lucky privilege of being there 12 hours+ per day soaking your hand in acetone or alcohol and cleaning the machine you cleaned the day before and that night shift cleaned before you.   

They say they have a great college program. But if you need in person classes, they will not work with you.  Rotating 12 hour shifrs mean you can't work consistant days each week.  

LG Chem uses its international status to bring in employees from its native countries of Korea and the Middle-East.  There is not an interest to grow its U.S. locations with U.S. employees.  LG Chem's underlying intentions is to use its business status as a means to secure employment for people of Korean or Middle-Eastern decent in order to fulfill U.S. government "green card" requirements.  For every 1 native U.S. employee in this company, you will find at least 5 non-native employees that are "green card" holders here to "get an education, then go back home" or "in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen."

LG Chem dabbles is the type of "non-native" business practices our government has been claiming for years that is not fair to U.S. native employees.  Yet, no U.S. government officials have done a thing to stop LG Chem's "green card employee" manufacturing.

This company has gone downhill over the years. If you have no outside life or any other responsibilities this place is for you. You can’t trust anyone in HR and none of them are for the ppl. Policies get made up as they go even though there is an employee handbook they pick and choose what they want to follow. There way of fixing problems on the floor is bring more Koreans to fix quality since they can work day and night even lean up a machine and catch a cat nap since they have been there literally day and night. Supervisors constantly target ppl they don’t like to get rid of and HR allows it and even if supervisors are in the wrong they don’t get in trouble and the targeted person ends up fired. They say they can be flexible but that’s not true they recently took that away. No bonuses the past 2-3 years cents for pay raises that happen once a year since they haven’t been profitable th

It was a good hourly wage. Working with the people there was fun and the money was good. Unfortunately the Management's style was not one that led to cooperation within departments. It led to a lot of useless double and triple working of the same thing and inventory issues were ridiculous. I was wrongfully terminated for a trumped-up charge of misconduct that no one in my department believed. It forced me into early retirement but I am able to make the transition. Others who have worked there for about 5 years may run into the same situation of getting wrongfully terminated. This place is not a good work environment for a family man.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Production engineer 3 salaries reported	$71,000 per year
Engineer 3 salaries reported	$69,667 per year
Sales manager 12 salaries reported	$187,500 per year
Intern 8 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Quality engineer 5 salaries reported	$82,000 per year

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