Lead Plastics & Trim Design Engineer

Polaris Industries Inc.; Wyoming; On-site; USD 119,000 - 157,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit-sharing plan

401(k) with company match

Health, dental & vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Polaris Inc. is seeking an experienced design engineer to own the development and production release of exterior plastic and interior trim systems.

You will lead cross-functional teams from concept through launch, translating styling into manufacturable designs and ensuring robust interfaces with adjacent vehicle systems. The role emphasizes collaboration with Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and suppliers, with a focus on cost, durability, and timing objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of product development experience with plastic components, vehicle body systems, or interior trim systems.
• Experience with injection molded plastic component design and manufacturing processes.
• Experience designing vehicle exterior plastics and/or interior trim systems.
• Knowledge of thermoplastic material selection for aesthetic and structural applications.
• Working knowledge and experience with 3D CAD modeling and engineering drawing creation; Creo experience is preferred.
• Working knowledge of GD&T and dimensional stack-up analysis.
• Understanding of DFMEA, DVP&R, root cause analysis, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Experience with tooling development, mold flow analysis, part or mold cost estimating, and supplier management is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, validation, and production release of exterior plastic and interior trim components and assemblies from concept through production.
• Translate styling intent into manufacturable, production-ready designs in collaboration with Industrial Design and related engineering partners.
• Oversee and collaborate with B-side design resources to create and maintain 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, specifications, bills of material, and release documentation.
• Develop component interfaces, attachment strategies, and assembly concepts to ensure proper integration with adjacent vehicle systems.
• Manage project deliverables, schedules, open issues, and risks to support program timing and cost objectives.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities with Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, Validation, suppliers, and other stakeholders to deliver robust design solutions.
• Support material selection, tooling development, design-for-manufacturing reviews, and production launch activities.
• Develop and support subsystem specifications, DFMEAs, DVP&R plans, design reviews, and validation testing.
• Investigate and resolve design, manufacturing, validation, and field issues using structured problem-solving methods.
• Participate in prototype builds, vehicle integration activities, competitive benchmarking, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Collaboration

Planning

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering

Tools

Creo

3D CAD modeling

GD&T

Dimensional stack-up analysis

Job description

Polaris Inc. is seeking an experienced design engineer to own the development and production release of exterior plastic and interior trim systems.

You will lead cross-functional teams from concept through launch, translating styling into manufacturable designs and ensuring robust interfaces with adjacent vehicle systems. The role emphasizes collaboration with Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and suppliers, with a focus on cost, durability, and timing objectives.