Plastics Process Development Engineer -- Injection Molding

Job Description

Job Description

Are you the go-to expert for scientific molding?

Do you engineer processes that hold up under pressure? Can you take PP and PC from first shot to stable window, translate resin behavior into actionable settings, and coach a plant to run them flawlessly? If your answer is yes, read on.

• Position Title: Plastics Process Development Engineer — Injection Molding
• Reports To: Sr. Manager of Engineering
• Location: Anderson
• Department: Engineering / Operations

This description outlines the role’s primary scope and responsibilities; it is not a comprehensive list of all tasks and skills.

Hands-on, floor-first impact: This role anchors plant stability and performance by building, protecting, and continuously improving robust molding processes.

• Define, validate, and sustain scientific process windows for PP, PC, and similar resins.
• Establish golden settings around melt temperature/shear, velocity profiles, pack/hold pressure and time, cooling efficiency, and mold temperature control.
• Integrate resin-specific science: PP viscosity, shrink, crystallization; PC thermal sensitivity.
• Publish controlled setup documentation and standard work; mentor technicians and operators to protect process integrity across shifts.
• Lead root-cause investigations into hesitation, jetting, sinks, warp, blush, splay, burns, voids, and dimensional instability.
• Correlate defects to moisture/degradation, venting/cooling/gating, and machine response/screw recovery.
• Deploy DOE, cavity pressure analytics, and SPC to implement durable solutions.
• Partner with Tool Room and Maintenance to optimize cooling circuits, venting and gas evacuation, and ejection/part release.
• Run mold trials, guide steel-safe changes, and launch new tools; confirm molds can run within defined windows.
• Define wear components and PM expectations; own Cp/Cpk for molding processes.
• Apply SPC to critical parameters and part characteristics; pivot quality from inspection-heavy to process-controlled.
• Use data to resolve scrap, quality holds, and customer complaints.
• Commission and validate presses (electric/hydraulic/hybrid), robots, dryers, chillers, and material handling systems; verify equipment capability aligns with resin and mold needs.
• Reduce cycle time responsibly—never at the expense of part performance or mold life.
• Uphold safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Enable consistent performance through strong cross-shift communication.
• Execute related duties as required.

• BS in Plastics, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or related Engineering discipline.
• 7–10 years of hands-on injection molding process engineering.
• Proficiency with PP and PC material behavior in molding.
• Evidence of data-driven problem solving for complex process issues.

• RJG Master Molder I/II or equivalent scientific molding certification.
• Experience with DOE, SPC, and Six Sigma.
• Background in high-volume, multi-press production.

• Expertise in molding processes, mold design, resin behavior, and parameter development.
• Comfort reading drawings/specs and mining process data for insight.
• Analytical, structured problem solver with quality improvement toolkit.
• Strong communicator and collaborator; self-directed continuous improver.
• Working knowledge of Lean; fluency with MS Office and MES.

• Engineering degree fundamentals
• Data analysis and manipulation
• Continuous improvement, Lean, Kaizen
• Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
• 5 Why and Fishbone (Ishikawa) root cause methods
• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
• Supplier management
• Motor replacement/repair/maintenance
• Manufacturing instructions (MI)
• Troubleshooting industrial automation equipment
• Process engineering and process development
• Production optimization
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• Quality control practices; non-conforming product identification
• Mechanical design and engineering; tolerance analysis
• Electrical/electronic systems familiarity
• Six Sigma experience
• Operational risk management
• Production planning and scheduling
• High-level operations analysis
• Budgeting and forecasting exposure
• Quality control data analysis