Plastic Injection Molding Project Engineer

Role details

IEG Plastics is a proud supplier of plastic parts and assemblies to the automotive and consumer goods industries. IEG utilizes state of the art facilities and equipment to provide the highest quality precision plastic parts and assemblies to our customers.

Department: Engineering

Supervisor: Plant Manager

Position Title: Plastic Injection Molding Project Engineer

Pay Rate: Based on experience

POSITION SUMMARY

The Plastic Injection Molding Project Engineer is responsible for managing engineering projects from concept development through production launch. This role coordinates new product introductions, mold and tooling development, injection molding process validation, equipment installation, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure projects meet customer requirements, quality standards, cost targets, and delivery schedules.

The Project Engineer works closely with customers, tooling suppliers, production, quality, maintenance, purchasing, and other cross-functional teams to ensure successful project execution and stable manufacturing processes.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Lead and manage projects from initial concept through tooling development, validation, and production launch.
• Develop project plans, timelines, budgets, milestones, and resource requirements.
• Monitor project progress, identify risks, resolve issues, and communicate status to management and customers.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure on-time completion of project deliverables.
• Manage engineering changes and maintain project documentation.

MOLD AND TOOLING DEVELOPMENT

• Coordinate the design, development, fabrication, sampling, and qualification of injection molds.
• Review mold designs, including parting lines, gates, runners, cooling channels, ejector systems, and venting.
• Work with mold designers and toolmakers to resolve tooling issues and optimize mold performance.
• Coordinate mold trials, mold modifications, and corrective actions.
• Evaluate tooling readiness and ensure molds meet cycle time, quality, and production requirements.

INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS DEVELOPMENT

• Develop and optimize injection molding processes, including injection pressure, temperature, fill time, holding pressure, cooling time, and cycle time.
• Establish and document process parameters and setup standards.
• Troubleshoot molding defects such as flash, short shots, sink marks, warpage, weld lines, burn marks, and dimensional variation.
• Support scientific molding, process capability studies, and process optimization where applicable.
• Ensure process repeatability, productivity, and consistent product quality.

NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION (NPI) AND VALIDATION

• Lead new product introduction activities, including design reviews, mold trials, sampling, and production readiness.
• Coordinate T0, T1, and subsequent mold trials, as applicable.
• Support Design for Manufacturability (DFM) reviews and provide feedback on part design and tooling feasibility.
• Prepare and execute process validation activities, including IQ, OQ, and PQ where required.
• Coordinate First Article Inspection (FAI), dimensional layouts, capability studies, and customer approvals.
• Support PPAP submissions and Production Part Approval Process documentation when required by the customer.

QUALITY AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Collaborate with Quality Engineering to investigate customer complaints, internal defects, and process deviations.
• Implement root cause analysis and corrective and preventive actions using tools such as 5 Why, Fishbone, and 8D.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce scrap, downtime, cycle time, and manufacturing costs.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and other process improvement methodologies as appropriate.
• Support PFMEA, Control Plans, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.

EQUIPMENT AND PRODUCTION READINESS

• Coordinate the installation, commissioning, and qualification of injection molding machines, auxiliary equipment, robots, and automation systems.
• Evaluate production capacity, machine tonnage, material handling, and cycle time requirements.
• Support mold changeover improvements, preventive maintenance planning, and equipment troubleshooting.
• Ensure production processes comply with applicable safety, environmental, and quality requirements.
• Assist production teams during launch and stabilize processes before handover to routine manufacturing.

COST AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT

• Work with purchasing and suppliers to obtain tooling quotations, evaluate costs, and track project expenditures.
• Monitor project budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Coordinate with resin suppliers, mold makers, automation vendors, and external service providers.
• Evaluate material alternatives and process changes based on performance, quality, and cost.
• Track project KPIs, including launch timing, scrap rate, cycle time, tooling cost, and process capability.
• Other duties and tasks as assigned.
• Adhere to IEG Plastics’ core values: Positive Thinking is Powerful Thinking, Lock and Load, Individual Contribution to the Group Effort, Do The Right Thing, Aim For The Highest Peak..

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCTION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Typically 3–5 years of experience in plastic injection molding, manufacturing engineering, or project engineering
• Strong understanding of injection molding processes, mold construction, tooling design, and plastic materials.
• Experience with new product launches, mold trials, process validation, and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with engineering drawings, GD&T, dimensional inspection, and manufacturing documentation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools; CAD knowledge is preferred.
• Experience with automotive, consumer products, or other regulated manufacturing environments is an advantage.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Plastic injection molding process development and optimization.
• Mold design review and tooling qualification.
• Mold flow analysis and DFM fundamentals.
• Scientific molding and process capability analysis.
• PFMEA, Control Plans, PPAP, APQP, and SPC, where applicable.
• Root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Project scheduling, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Knowledge of engineering change management and document control.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS)

• On-time project completion and production launch.
• Tooling development and qualification completion.
• Achievement of target cycle time and production capacity.
• Scrap rate and process yield.
• First-pass quality and process capability.
• Project budget adherence and cost savings.
• Reduction in molding defects and unplanned downtime.
• Successful customer approval and production handover.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position involves a combination of office-based project planning and hands-on work in manufacturing areas, including injection molding production, tooling, and process development. Occasional travel to customer sites and tooling suppliers may be required.