Molding Engineering Superintendent

The Qualifind Group; Tijuana; On-site; MXN 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

The QualiFind Group in Mexico is seeking a Molding Engineering Superintendent in Tijuana to lead tooling design, development, and procurement for automotive plastic parts. You will drive tooling integrity, optimize molding processes, and ensure compliance with IATF 16949 throughout the product lifecycle.

Responsibilities include leading design reviews, managing suppliers, conducting Mold Flow analyses, implementing preventive maintenance, and mentoring engineers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical/manufacturing/polymer engineering.
• 5–7 years in injection molding, tooling design review, and tool-room management in Automotive Tier 2.
• Experience with Mold Flow and CAD tools (SOLIDWORKS).
• Willingness to travel up to 25% domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead tooling design reviews ensuring DFx and IATF 16949 compliance.
• Manage tooling procurement, supplier selection, and budget tracking.
• Optimize molding processes, cycle times, and quality through validation.
• Coordinate PM/Predictive maintenance and tool life programs.
• Mentor junior tooling engineers and document SOPs.
• Liaise between Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and vendors.

Skills

Injection molding tooling

GD&T

Project management

CAD (SOLIDWORKS)

Root cause analysis

Team mentorship

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Polymer Engineering

RJG Master Molder I desirable

Tools

SolidWorks

Autodesk MoldFlow

Mold Flow Simulation

Job description

The QualiFind Group is a talent acquisition firm that provides specialists to management search and recruitment services. Our sister practice – The ExeQfind Group provides executive search services at the mid-management to senior executive level. Both of our practices leverage a broad network of research staff, recruiters, and executive search consultants across the Americas including Canada, the US, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and Brazil. We have extensive experience supporting multinational organizations with organizational changes to include expansions, topgrading, and startups.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Molding Engineering Superintendent is a key technical leader responsible for the design, development, procurement, and optimization of high-quality plastic injection molds and associated molding processes for automotive components. This role ensures tooling integrity, manufacturing efficiency, and compliance with all automotive quality standards throughout the product lifecycle, from initial concept to high-volume production.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

Tooling Design, Development, and Procurement

• Lead the technical design review and approval process for all new injection molding tools, ensuring compliance with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and automotive standards (e.g., IATF 16949).
• Consult with Product Design Engineers to advise on part moldability, material selection (e.g., engineered resins, thermoplastics), tooling feasibility, and cost-efficient design choices.
• Conduct and evaluate Mold Flow Analysis (using software like Autodesk MoldFlow) to optimize gating, cooling, and cycle times.
• Manage the end-to-end tooling procurement process, including defining detailed tooling specifications, obtaining budgetary quotes, selecting and managing global mold suppliers, and tracking build progress against budget and timeline.
• Ensure the implementation of advanced molding technologies such as in-mold decoration, foaming, overmolding, and variothermal processes where required.

Tooling Maintenance, Repair, and Lifecycle Management

• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Predictive Maintenance programs for all production tooling to maximize tool life and minimize unscheduled downtime.
• Oversee and audit the in-house tool shop and external repair vendors, ensuring all repairs and maintenance meet rigorous quality standards and dimensional specifications.
• Analyze tooling failure data (MTBF - Mean Time Between Failures) to identify high-wear components and proactively implement design improvements or material changes.
• Manage the spare parts inventory for critical mold components (e.g., core pins, ejector pins, sensor tips).
• Coordinate and approve major tool refurbishments, modifications, and engineering changes (ECR) to extend tool life or accommodate product design updates.

Process Optimization and Manufacturing Support

• Provide hands-on expertise in plastic injection molding process setup, optimization, and validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), including initial tool trials and qualification (e.g., PPAP runs).
• Lead troubleshooting and implement Root Cause Corrective Actions (RCCA) for chronic equipment, tooling, or process issues to reduce scrap, improve quality, and maximize uptime.
• Calculate and optimize key molding parameters such as press tonnage, shot size, and theoretical cycle times.
• Collaborate with the Production teams to ensure efficient and safe operation of molding equipment.
• Serve as the key liaison between Design Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and external tooling vendors.

Project Management and Continuous Improvement

• Manage multiple complex tooling projects concurrently, ensuring all milestones are met within the specified quality, timing, and cost objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in the tooling and molding areas using problem-solving methodologies like Lean/Six Sigma, 8D, and 5-Why to improve overall process capability and reduce manufacturing costs.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to junior tooling engineers and production technicians.
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation, including tool records, maintenance logs, engineering change requests (ECR), and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE

• Advanced knowledge of injection mold tooling construction, hot runner systems, temperature control, and mold maintenance strategies.
• Strong understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Soft Skills: Strong project management, communication (verbal and written), and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (e.g., to tool shops and customer sites) up to 25%.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Polymer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• A minimum of 5 - 7 years of direct, hands-on experience in injection molding processing, tooling design review, project management, and tool room management/supervision, specifically within the Automotive Tier 2 environment.
• RJG Master Molder I is desirable.
• Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, SolidEdge) for tool design review and modification.
• Proven experience with Mold Flow Simulation software (e.g., Autodesk MoldFlow).