Engineering Program Manager - Injection Molding (NPI)

Job Description

Job Description

Company Overview
Tech NH, Inc. has a rich history rooted in innovation and quality within the plastics industry. Since its inception, the company has grown from prototype development to a comprehensive full-service organization specializing in injection molding, mold making, and product design, serving diverse industries with a focus on excellence and customer satisfaction.

Position Summary

The Engineering Program Manager is a plastics engineering role with full lifecycle accountability for new product introduction (NPI) programs.

This individual is responsible for driving new injection molded programs from concept through tool build, validation, production release, and beyond — ensuring technical integrity, disciplined execution, and on-time/on-budget launch.

This role is fundamentally engineering-centric. The Program Manager leads part DFM, mold design direction, validation strategy, and processing readiness. The role also requires proactive identification and execution of all cross-functional activities required for production release.

Support functions (Quality Engineering, Regulatory, Document Control, Quoting, Customer Service) exist to assist — but the Engineering Program Owner is accountable for ensuring all required activities are identified, directed, and completed.

If it affects successful production release, it falls within this role’s ownership.

Core Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership (Foundation of the Role)

• Lead customer-facing part Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews
• Provide actionable feedback on part geometry, tolerances, material selection, and risk
• Define mold construction requirements and review mold designs
• Guide tool build strategy for manufacturability, longevity, and cost control
• Develop validation approach (IQ/OQ/PQ, FAI, capability studies as applicable)
• Lead mold sampling and processing readiness activities
• Identify and mitigate technical risk early in program lifecycle
• Serve as primary technical authority for assigned programs

2. Program Ownership & Execution Leadership (Critical)

• Own the program timeline from concept through production release
• Develop and maintain structured program plans and risk registers
• Identify all cross-functional deliverables required for release
• Drive accountability across Tooling, QC, Production, Customer Service, and Accounting
• Conduct structured stage-gate readiness reviews
• Proactively identify dependencies 60–90 days ahead of impact
• Escalate risks early with proposed mitigation strategies
• Ensure no release-critical activity goes unmanaged or unidentified

Success in this role is measured by predictable, disciplined launches.

3. Customer & Commercial Interface

• Serve as primary technical contact for customer engineering teams
• Communicate program status, risks, and schedule updates
• Manage scope changes and engineering change impacts
• Provide technical input for quotations (cycle time, material usage, tooling complexity)
• Understand margin implications of engineering and timeline decisions

4. Tooling & Development Oversight

• Issue technical specifications for mold quoting and fabrication
• Monitor tool build progress against schedule and risk
• Coordinate mold trials and validation runs
• Ensure development learnings are captured and implemented

Engineering Program Manager – Injection Molding (NPI)

Position Summary

The Engineering Program Manager is a plastics engineering role with full lifecycle accountability for new product introduction (NPI) programs.

This individual is responsible for driving new injection molded programs from concept through tool build, validation, production release, and beyond — ensuring technical integrity, disciplined execution, and on-time/on-budget launch.

This role is fundamentally engineering-centric. The Program Manager leads part DFM, mold design direction, validation strategy, and processing readiness. The role also requires proactive identification and execution of all cross-functional activities required for production release.

Support functions (Quality Engineering, Regulatory, Document Control, Quoting, Customer Service) exist to assist — but the Engineering Program Owner is accountable for ensuring all required activities are identified, directed, and completed.

If it affects successful production release, it falls within this role’s ownership.

Core Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership (Foundation of the Role)

• Lead customer-facing part Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews
• Provide actionable feedback on part geometry, tolerances, material selection, and risk
• Define mold construction requirements and review mold designs
• Guide tool build strategy for manufacturability, longevity, and cost control
• Develop validation approach (IQ/OQ/PQ, FAI, capability studies as applicable)
• Lead mold sampling and processing readiness activities
• Identify and mitigate technical risk early in program lifecycle
• Serve as primary technical authority for assigned programs

2. Program Ownership & Execution Leadership (Critical)

• Own the program timeline from concept through production release
• Develop and maintain structured program plans and risk registers
• Identify all cross-functional deliverables required for release
• Drive accountability across Tooling, QC, Production, Customer Service, and Accounting
• Conduct structured stage-gate readiness reviews
• Proactively identify dependencies 60–90 days ahead of impact
• Escalate risks early with proposed mitigation strategies
• Ensure no release-critical activity goes unmanaged or unidentified

Success in this role is measured by predictable, disciplined launches.

3. Customer & Commercial Interface

• Serve as primary technical contact for customer engineering teams
• Communicate program status, risks, and schedule updates
• Manage scope changes and engineering change impacts
• Provide technical input for quotations (cycle time, material usage, tooling complexity)
• Understand margin implications of engineering and timeline decisions

4. Tooling & Development Oversight

• Issue technical specifications for mold quoting and fabrication
• Monitor tool build progress against schedule and risk
• Coordinate mold trials and validation runs
• Ensure development learnings are captured and implemented

5. Quality & Production Integration

• Define inspection requirements and validation deliverables
• Review FAI and validation reports prior to submission
• Support production troubleshooting during launch phase
• Ensure smooth and complete transition from development to production

Required Experience

• 7–12+ years of hands-on injection molding engineering experience
• Demonstrated experience with:
• Plastic part DFM
• Mold design review and tool build oversight
• Mold sampling and processing
• Validation strategy (IQ/OQ/PQ, PPAP preferred)
• Proven experience driving programs from concept through release
• Experience working directly with customer engineering teams

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical, Plastics, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in medical or regulated manufacturing environment preferred
• Strong understanding of injection molding materials and process behavior
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• High accountability mindset
• Behavioral Characteristics Required for Success
• Naturally proactive and risk-aware
• Comfortable leading cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Bias toward closure and accountability

Escalates early rather than late