Plastics Process Development Engineer — Injection Molding
Listed pay for BS-level Process Engineering roles on Crosslinked center on $111k (486 with a salary).This posting does not list one.
Develop and sustain scientific injection molding process windows for PP and PC resins in a plant.
Worth knowing
Why it is interesting. Deep hands-on scientific molding work — cavity pressure analytics, DOE, and golden settings — with real ownership of Cp/Cpk and new tool launches.
Might not be for you. Requires 7-10 years of hands-on injection molding experience — not open to early-career candidates.
Core polymer rolescientific process windows for PP, PC; PP viscosity, shrink, crystallization; PC thermal sensitivity
- Seniority
- Senior
- Work
- On-site
- Type
- Full-time
- Degree
- BS
- Experience
- 7–10 yrs
- Industry
- General manufacturing
- Role
- Process Engineering
Role details
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.
Role snapshot
-----------------
- 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.
Impact you’ll make
----------------------
- 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.
Qualifications
------------------
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.
Preferred
- RJG Master Molder I/II or equivalent scientific molding certification.
- Experience with DOE, SPC, and Six Sigma.
- Background in high-volume, multi-press production.
Core capabilities
---------------------
- 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.
Tools, methods, and knowledge areas
---------------------------------------
- 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
Related roles
CE Process Engineer (Injection Molding)ClearBridge Executive Search · Milton, DE
SI Product Validation & Quality Engineersimplehuman · Torrance, CA
OC Associate Materials EngineerORBIS Corporation (Menasha Corporation) · Pewaukee, WI
GA Structural Mechanic IIIGulfstream Aerospace · Savannah, GA
CE Engineer InternCascade Engineering · Grand Rapids, MI $48k – $52k