Mechanical Design Engineer

VAT GROUP; Batu Kawan; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

VAT GROUP in Penang, Malaysia seeks a Mechanical Design Engineer for Vulcanization Tooling Design. You will design, develop, and qualify vulcanization molds and related tooling to meet dimensional, quality, process, productivity, and tool-life requirements.

Collaboration with Process, Production, Industrial Engineering, and external tooling vendors is essential to support NPI, ramp-up, and mass production while ensuring molds are manufacturable, cost-effective, sustainable, and compliant with

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in mechanical/manufacturing/mechatronics.
• Minimum 5 years in mechanical design with tooling experience.
• Proficient in 3D CAD and GD&T.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize vulcanization molds and related tooling.
• Create robust, manufacturable designs meeting specifications and tool-life goals.
• Perform 3D modeling and 2D drafting with GD&T and surface finish requirements.
• Apply DFM principles to ensure cost-effective fabrication and maintenance.
• Support NPI, ramp-up, and mass production with tooling readiness.
• Prepare mold docs: drawings, BOM, specs, and assembly instructions.
• Collaborate with external mold/tooling vendors for quotation and fabrication.
• Troubleshoot mold/tooling issues during vulcanization and production.
• Maintain lifecycle, spare parts, and engineering changes.
• Drive continuous improvement, safety, and cost-reduction initiatives.

Skills

3D CAD

GD&T

DFM

Project management

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor’s/Master Mechanical or Mechatronics

Tools

TopSolid

SolidWorks

MS Office

Job description

We are looking for the Mechanical Design Engineer assigned to the Vulcanization Tooling Design section is responsible for the design, development, qualification, and continuous improvement of vulcanization molds, as well as related tooling, fixtures, and equipment.

This role focuses primarily on creating robust and manufacturable vulcanization molds that meet dimensional, quality, process, productivity, and tool-life requirements. The role covers the complete tooling lifecycle from detailed design and fabrication through tool validation, process qualification, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.

The role works closely with Process Engineering, Production, Industrial Engineering, and external tooling vendors to support NPI, ramp-up, and mass production, ensuring molds and related tooling are manufacturable, cost-effective, sustainable, and compliant with process, safety, quality, and engineering requirements.

Your responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Design, develop, and optimize vulcanization molds and related tools/fixtures/equipment to support stable, safe, and repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Develop detailed mechanical designs based on requirements, vulcanization process, equipment limitations, and manufacturing requirements.
• Perform detailed 3D modeling and 2D drafting, including appropriate:
• GD&T requirements
• Surface finish and inspection requirements
• Machining and fabrication requirements
• Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to ensure molds and tooling are practical to fabricate, assemble, maintain, inspect, and modify.
• Support NPI and process industrialization by providing mold design, design reviews, technical specifications, and tooling readiness prior to pilot runs and mass production release.
• Prepare and release complete mold and tooling documentation, including design drawings, BOM, specifications, and assembly/setup instructions.
• Liaise with external mold/tooling for quotation, fabrication, modification, technical clarification, and debugging.
• Support tool fabrication, mold try-out, tool setup, machine trials, and tool validation to ensure the tooling meets design and process requirements.
• Support process qualification and validation activities to confirm mold capability, product quality, and process stability.
• Troubleshoot mold and tooling-related issues during vulcanization, NPI, ramp-up, and mass production.
• Maintain tool sustainability and lifecycle management, including spare part definition, replacement strategy, maintenance requirements, and engineering changes.
• Develop and standardize mold design concepts, materials, components, and best practices to improve design lead-time, tool quality, and overall tooling cost.
• Participate in continuous improvement, 6S, safety, quality, and cost-reduction initiatives related to vulcanization molds, tooling, and manufacturing methods.
• Provide technical guidance and support to engineers and relevant functions on vulcanization mold design, GD&T, DFM, troubleshooting, qualification, and tooling improvement.
• Perform other engineering tasks as assigned by the Superior to support departmental objectives.

Key Competencies and Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s in mechanical / manufacturing / Mechatronics or equivalent discipline
• Minimum 5 years of experience in mechanical design, including but not limited to tooling, fixtures or automation equipment.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD systems (e.g. TopSolid, SolidWorks).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (documentation, presentations, reports).
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to present technical concepts to production teams.
• Structured problem‑solving approach.
• Strong communication skills for technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Team player with the ability to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred Qualification:

• Strong interest and proficiency in mechanical design using 3D CAD software. Mold/tool design experience will be an added advantage
• Solid knowledge of GD&T, datum structure, and tolerance stack‑up
• Strong understanding of Fabrication Processes involving CNC Machining, Grinding, Polishing, EDM and etc
• Basic knowledge in Vulcanization Process