Lead Mold Technician

Rehrig Pacific Company, Inc.; Erie (Erie County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Rehrig Pacific Company in Erie, PA is seeking a Lead Tooling Technician to act as the site’s technical expert for injection mold maintenance and reliability improvements. This role drives in-house tooling capability and mold performance while aligning with safety and production standards.

You will bridge Tooling Manager and Mold Technicians, develop tooling expertise, and lead repairs to minimize external spend while upholding quality.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in injection mold maintenance or toolroom work.
• Experience repairing large molds (40,000–90,000 lb).
• Ability to diagnose mold issues and determine root causes.
• Ability to train and develop technicians.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex mold diagnostics, disassembly, repair, machining, welding, reassembly, validation, and return-to-service activities.
• Audit toolroom safety, PPE, crane, rigging, heavy-lift, environmental and 5S requirements.
• Identify and lead repair and reliability improvements that reduce external spend, scrap, and downtime.
• Investigate tooling-related events, determine root cause, and recommend corrective actions.
• Diagnose and repair complex mold failures and advise on tooling-related decisions.
• Own the mold health status for every mold in house and move Yellow to Green.
• Develop the technical skills of Mold Technicians with hands-on training and mentoring.

Skills

Mold maintenance

Mold troubleshooting

Blueprint reading

Precision machining

Technical leadership

Training technicians

Safety standards

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Journeyman mold maker / tool & die credential preferred

Tools

UpKeep CMMS

Job description

Career Opportunities with Rehrig Pacific Company

A great place to work.

Current job opportunities are posted here as they become available.

Here at Rehrig Pacific, we are all about our people. Since 1913, our organization has focused on sustainable supply chain solutions while creating a culture and atmosphere where amazing people, like you, are celebrated for doing their best work. Rehrig Pacific has grown to meet the needs of our industry consumers across the country and internationally. We are constantly creating innovative solutions to transcend the new standards set forth by our customers. We find true fulfillment in helping others, both within the Rehrig Pacific family and in our communities. As servant leaders, we lead by example.

The Lead Tooling Technician serves as the site's primary technical expert for injection mold maintenance, repair, and reliability improvement. This position bridges the gap between the Tooling Manager and Mold Technicians by providing advanced technical leadership, developing internal tooling capabilities, reducing reliance on external repair vendors, and driving mold performance improvements. The role is responsible for building technician expertise, preserving tooling knowledge, and ensuring molds consistently meet safety, quality, and production requirements.

Areas of Accountabilities

• Perform and lead complex mold diagnostics, disassembly, repair, machining, welding, reassembly, validation, and return-to-service activities.
• Audit and reinforce compliance with toolroom safety, PPE, crane, rigging, heavy-lift, environmental, and 5S requirements.
• Identify and lead repair and reliability improvements that reduce external spend, scrap, and downtime.
• Investigate assigned tooling-related events, determine root cause, and recommend corrective actions.
• Diagnose and repair complex mold failures and advise named functions on tooling-related operating decisions.
• Own the mold health status (Green / Yellow / Red) for every mold in house and the repair plan that moves each Yellow mold to Green — runnable without secondary work.
• Recommend internal vs. external repairs and define repair scope, specifying the equipment and skills required to bring mid- and large-size repairs in-house.
• Develop the technical skills of Mold Technicians with hands-on training, mentoring, and structured development plans.
• Create and maintain repair procedures, troubleshooting guides and mold-specific binders (drawings, BOMs, specifications) so critical tooling knowledge stays with the site.
• Coordinate daily tooling priorities, mold repairs, preventive maintenance activities, and technician workload.
• Maintain complete mold histories, repair records, PM results, spare-parts information, and supporting technical documentation in UpKeep and designated mold files.
• Advise Production, Processing, Quality, Engineering, and Maintenance on mold condition, repair scope, operating risk, and return-to-service requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required; journeyman mold maker, tool & die or equivalent technical credential preferred.
• 7+ years in injection mold maintenance, mold building or toolroom work, with demonstrated expert-level repair of large (40,000–90,000 lb) and stack molds.
• Leads through expertise and influence: clear communicator, organized, holds work to safety, quality and documentation standards.
• Advanced hot runner / valve gate, hydraulic, pneumatic, cooling and mold-action systems; able to diagnose flash, sticking, wear and cooling faults to root cause.
• Precision machining (mill, lathe, CNC, surface grinding) and TIG / micro welding of tool-steel and aluminum components; proficient in precision measurement and blueprint / BOM reading.
• Experience training and developing technicians, and reducing external tooling spend by bringing repairs in-house.
• Working knowledge of mold design principles, materials, finishes and tolerances; UpKeep or equivalent CMMS; crane, rigging and forklift certified or able to obtain.

Why Rehrig Pacific Company?

Rehrig Pacific is a leading manufacturer of integrated sustainable solutions for the supply chain and environmental waste industries with a diverse customer list of industry leaders. We provide end-to-end solutions including returnable plastic products, delivery lifts and sleds, technology to track those assets, and a service team to ensure their longevity. Our team is dedicated to the values, mission, and unique culture within our organization that celebrates our people. We believe in fostering an environment where employees can be their authentic selves and know that they are viewed as integral members of the Rehrig Pacific Family.

Rehrig Pacific Company is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Rehrig Pacific Company is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.