Mold Process Plastics Engineer

Flint Hills Resources; Rochester Hills (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Molex is seeking a Mold Process Engineer to own mold tooling and process development for automotive components. You will advise on manufacturability, lead tooling initiatives, and apply CAE techniques to reduce lead times and capital spend.

You will collaborate with global teams to ensure launch readiness, drive continuous improvement, and deliver production-ready molds on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• Experience in injection molding and tooling
• Hands-on experience with molding machines and ancillary equipment
• Familiarity with design for manufacturability and preventive strategies
• Proven troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities in tooling
• CAD/CAE tools experience and GD&T knowledge
• End-to-end project ownership from qualification to launch readiness

Responsibilities

• Lead tooling initiatives: quotes, DFM, tool approvals, CAE validation and supplier coordination
• Own end-to-end mold development and launch readiness
• Optimize processes using cavity-pressure data and DOE
• Maintain schedules, budgets, and documentation with version control
• Provide troubleshooting for equipment, tooling, and process issues
• Drive tooling cost reduction and on-time mold delivery across sites

Skills

Mold injection molding

Tooling development

DOE

CAD/CAE analysis

GD&T

Project ownership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Six Sigma Green Belt

RJG Master Molder

Tools

Moldflow

Moldex3D

Sigmasoft

NX

SAP

Windchill

Teamcenter

Job description

Mold Process Engineer (Automotive Division)

Travel: Up to 30-40% (Global)

Relocation assistance available | Visa sponsorship not offered

Your Job

Join our Transportation Industrial Solutions (TIS) team as a Mold Process Engineer and accelerate your career by owning mold tooling and process development that directly impacts product quality, cost, and launch success.

In this hands-on role, you'll work directly with new product teams to advise on robust design for manufacturability, lead end-to-end tooling initiatives (including supplier coordination and on-site qualifications), apply scientific molding and CAE techniques to reduce lead times and capital spend, and employ strong problem-solving skills to diagnose and resolve complex molding and tooling issues.

Our Team

The global TIS Mold Engineering team delivers cutting-edge connector, sensing, and interconnect solutions to the global automotive, transportation, and industrial markets, supporting next-generation vehicles, electrification, and smart mobility applications. We partner closely with Mold Design, Operations, and Product Design to drive measurable improvements in division KPIs, thrive in a fast-paced global environment, and collaborate with peers, remote sites, and external suppliers to deliver production-ready molds on time and under budget.

As part of Molex and Koch Industries, we operate under Principle Based Management (PBM)®, empowering employees to think like entrepreneurs, create value, and grow their careers in a culture built on integrity, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

What You Will Do

• Lead new tooling and mold initiatives: manage quotes, DFM, concept/tool approvals, Moldflow CAE validation, and supplier coordination (remote and on-site) through tool qualifications.
• Own end-to-end mold development: define qualification criteria, develop and verify scientific molding processes, and drive launch readiness into operations.
• Optimize process parameters using cavity-pressure data and statistical methods (DOE); correlate CAE and measured part/process data to ensure robust, repeatable production windows.
• Manage project execution and documentation: track schedule, status, budget, and milestones; ensure complete, version-controlled records (estimates, CAE results, tooling plans, QC reports).
• Provide technical support and troubleshooting for equipment, tooling, and process issues; lead corrective actions with operations and suppliers, and transfer lessons learned across teams to drive continuous improvement.
• Drive measurable improvements in tooling cost, cycle time, scrap reduction, and on-time mold delivery against defined KPI targets.
• Collaborate with global manufacturing plants to ensure successful mold transitions and alignment with receiving site expectations.

Who You Are (Basic Qualifications)

• Experience in injection molding, mold development, and tooling.
• Background in scientific molding principles with hands-on experience on molding machines and ancillary equipment.
• Experience in tooling systems and design for manufacturability (hot-runner, cooling/ejection, venting, mold materials) and preventative strategies to minimize adjustments and scrap.
• Proven troubleshooting and problem-solving ability to diagnose molding/tooling issues and drive improvements in quality, cost, and lead time.
• Experience with CAD/3-D modeling, basic CAE flow analysis, and familiarity with GD&T for reviewing product prints.
• Demonstrated end-to-end project ownership: define qualification criteria, drive launch readiness, and manage schedule, budget, and milestones

What Will Put You Ahead

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Materials, Chemical, Plastics Engineering, or related discipline.
• Six Sigma Green Belt (or higher) or equivalent structured problem-solving training.
• RJG Master Molder I/II, AIM, or equivalent scientific-molding certification with hands-on expertise in cavity-pressure control, setting process windows, data acquisition, and transfer of best-practice settings.
• Experience with insert molding and overmolding processes, particularly for automotive connector or electronic component applications.
• Practical experience with new tooling launches, supplier coordination, and on-site tool qualifications for transportation/automotive components.
• Proficient with CAE simulation tools (Moldflow, Moldex3D, Sigmasoft) and able to correlate simulation results with measured part and process data.
• Strong systems and CAD skills: ERP/PLM (SAP, Windchill/Teamcenter or similar), advanced Excel (pivot tables, formulas, VBA), and 3-D CAD (NX preferred).
• Experience working in a global, fast-paced manufacturing environment with shifting priorities.
• Communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience collaborating with global manufacturing sites, suppliers, and cross-functional teams (Product Design, Operations, Quality).

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

Hiring Philosophy

All Koch companies value diversity of thought, perspectives, aptitudes, experiences, and backgrounds. We are Military Ready and Second Chance employers. Learn more about our hiring philosophy here .

Who We Are

As a Koch company, Molex is a leading supplier of connectors and interconnect components, driving innovation in electronics and supporting industries from automotive to health care and consumer to data communications. The thousands of innovators who work for Molex have made us a global electronics leader. Our experienced people, groundbreaking products and leading-edge technologies help us deliver a wider array of solutions to more markets than ever before.

At Koch, employees are empowered to do what they do best to make life better. Learn how our business philosophy helps employees unleash their potential while creating value for themselves and the company.

Our goal is for each employee, and their families, to live fulfilling and healthy lives. We provide essential resources and support to build and maintain physical, financial, and emotional strength - focusing on overall wellbeing so you can focus on what matters most. Our benefits plan includes - medical, dental, vision, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, ADD, disability, retirement, paid vacation/time off, educational assistance, and may also include infertility assistance, paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Specific eligibility criteria is set by the applicable Summary Plan Description, policy or guideline and benefits may vary by geographic region. If you have questions on what benefits apply to you, please speak to your recruiter.

Additionally, everyone has individual work and personal needs. We seek to enable the best work environment that helps you and the business work together to produce superior results.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status. Except where prohibited by state law, some offers of employment are conditioned upon successfully passing a drug test. This employer uses E-Verify.