A day in the life

You start your morning on the production floor, walking press to press, confirming that golden settings are locked in and that cavity pressure trends look healthy. A robot cycle is a beat slow on one tool; you adjust pack/hold and cooling balance to protect part performance without sacrificing mold life. Later, you partner with Maintenance to restore peak cooling circuit flow on a high-cavitation PP mold, then brief Quality and Operations on a plan to shift from inspection-heavy checks to process-driven control. By the end of the day, scrap tied to splay and blush is down, cycle time is optimized, and the organization is trained to run the window you established.

Role details

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

Note: The following overview outlines the general nature and scope of the work. It does not represent an exhaustive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, or skills.

Purpose

Own the definition, stabilization, and sustainment of robust, safe, and cost-effective injection molding processes. You will create and safeguard scientifically grounded process windows, eliminate variability and downtime, and lead continuous improvement across electric, hydraulic, and hybrid presses, robots, and downstream systems.

This is a hands-on, floor-centered position that underpins plant stability and performance.

What you will own

• Develop and validate scientific process windows for PP, PC, and related resins.
• Set and maintain golden settings using melt temperature and shear, injection velocity profiles, pack/hold pressure and time, cooling efficiency, and mold temperature control.
• Incorporate resin behavior into process design: viscosity, shrinkage, and crystallization for PP; thermal sensitivity for PC.
• Create and control setup sheets, standard work, and parameter limits; mentor teams to run and protect processes.
• Diagnose complex defects (flow hesitation, jetting, sinks, warp, blush, splay, burns, voids, dimensional drift) and drive permanent resolution.
• Link symptoms to root causes in material condition (moisture, degradation), mold design (venting, cooling, gating), and machine dynamics (pressure response, screw recovery).
• Use DOE, cavity pressure monitoring, and SPC to identify and implement lasting fixes.
• Collaborate with Tool Room and Maintenance to enhance cooling circuits, venting and gas evacuation, and ejection/part release.
• Lead mold trials, support steel-safe changes, and introduce new tools; verify technical capability to run within defined windows.
• Specify wear components and mold PM needs; ensure process capability (Cp/Cpk) targets are owned and achieved.
• Implement SPC on critical process parameters and part characteristics; move quality control from inspection to process control.
• Investigate scrap, quality holds, and customer complaints using data-driven methods.
• Commission and validate presses, robots, dryers, chillers, and material handling systems; confirm machine capability versus resin and mold requirements.
• Optimize cycle times without compromising part integrity or mold longevity.
• Champion adherence to safety, environmental, and quality procedures.
• Coordinate across shifts and maintain clear communication to ensure process consistency.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Education and experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Plastics, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or related field).
• 7–10 years of hands-on injection molding process engineering experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of PP and PC behavior in molding applications.
• Track record of data analysis and solving complex process issues.

Preferred

• RJG Master Molder I or II (or equivalent scientific molding certification).
• Exposure to DOE, SPC, and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Background in high-volume, multi-press environments.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Deep command of injection molding science, mold design fundamentals, resin behavior, and process parameters.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and process data.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause capabilities.
• Experience with SPC, structured problem solving, and quality improvement tools.
• Clear communicator and collaborative team player.
• Self-starter with demonstrated initiative for process improvement.
• Familiarity with Lean and continuous improvement practices.
• Proficient with MS Office and manufacturing execution systems (MES).

Technical proficiencies

• Bachelor’s Degree / Engineering Degree
• Data analysis and manipulation; Quality control data analysis
• Continuous improvement, Kaizen, Lean manufacturing principles
• Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
• Root cause methods: 5 Why, Fishbone (Ishikawa)
• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
• Supplier management
• Motor replacement, repair, and maintenance
• Manufacturing Instructions (MI) creation and adherence
• Troubleshooting industrial automation equipment
• Process engineering; Process development
• Production optimization
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA)
• Quality control experience; 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