Design Engineer

Role details

Job Description

The Design Engineer I - Plastics supports the design, development, validation, and launch of injection molded plastic components and assemblies. This role is intended for an early-career engineer who can build foundational expertise across plastic part design, DFM/DFA, material selection, tooling considerations, molding processes, testing, and simulation-informed decision making.

INNOVATE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES

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At Milwaukee Tool, our Engineering Teams develop innovative solutions that improve the productivity, safety, durability, and performance of products trusted by professional users every day.

As a Design Engineer I - Plastics, you will work within cross-functional product development teams to design and improve plastic components from early concept through production launch. The role provides hands-on exposure to plastic part design, materials, tooling, processing, manufacturing, testing, and injection molding simulation workflows.

This position is designed as a development role for an engineer interested in growing practical plastics expertise while contributing to high-impact product development work.

You'll Be DISRUPTIVE Through These Duties and Responsibilities ==================================================================

Product Design & Development

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• Design and develop plastic components and subassemblies for new product development and continuous improvement projects.

• Create, maintain, and release 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.

• Apply DFM and DFA principles to improve product performance, manufacturability, quality, assembly efficiency, and cost.

• Support design reviews, tolerance reviews, prototype builds, engineering builds, and production launch activities.

• Collaborate with industrial design, product engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, quality, suppliers, and test teams throughout the product development process.

Plastics Engineering

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• Support material selection for thermoplastics, elastomers, and related polymer systems based on mechanical, cosmetic, environmental, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.

• Develop working knowledge of injection molding behavior, including gate location, flow length, shrinkage, warpage, weld lines, sink, knit lines, cooling, ejection, and parting line considerations.

• Review and interpret injection molding simulation results, including Moldflow outputs, to support part design optimization, gating recommendations, filling performance, cooling strategy, and warpage reduction.

• Partner with tooling engineers, molders, suppliers, and manufacturing teams to resolve molding-related design, tooling, and process concerns during prototype and production phases.

• Assist with evaluation of new plastic materials, manufacturing methods, and design approaches for future product applications.

Testing, Validation & Problem Solving

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• Support engineering validation and verification testing for plastic components and assemblies.

• Analyze test results, identify design risks, and implement design improvements based on data and engineering judgment.

• Assist in troubleshooting plastic component failures, quality issues, and manufacturing concerns using structured root cause analysis methods.

• Work with materials, quality, tooling, manufacturing, and supplier teams to identify corrective actions and prevent recurrence.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on product reliability, manufacturability, weight, cost, quality, and performance.

Project Execution & Communication

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• Support multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced product development environment.

• Document engineering assumptions, test results, design decisions, tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations clearly and accurately.

• Communicate project status, technical risks, open issues, and design changes to project stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.

• Participate in supplier discussions, design reviews, engineering builds, and cross-functional project meetings as required.

• Build technical capability through mentorship, hands-on projects, training, supplier engagement, and collaboration with experienced plastics, tooling, materials, and simulation resources.

What TOOLS You'll Bring With You

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Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related technical discipline.

• 0-3 years of engineering experience, including internships, co-ops, or relevant project experience.

• Basic understanding of plastic materials and injection molding processes.

• Experience using 3D CAD software such as NX, Creo, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar platforms.

• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.

• Interest in hands-on product development, testing, manufacturing, and root cause analysis.

• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework, internship, co-op, or project experience involving plastics, injection molding, tooling, or manufacturing processes.

• Exposure to Moldflow, Moldex3D, Sigmasoft, SolidWorks Plastics, Autodesk Moldflow Adviser, or similar injection molding simulation tools.

• Understanding of DFM principles for injection molded plastic components.

• Familiarity with GD&T, tolerance analysis, and engineering drawing practices.

• Exposure to FEA, mechanical testing, material testing, or data analysis.

• Experience with rapid prototyping technologies such as 3D printing.

• Knowledge of plastic material performance tradeoffs, including strength, impact, fatigue, creep, chemical resistance, cosmetics, cost, and manufacturability.

*Milwaukee Tool is an equal opportunity employer.*