Process Engineer (Injection Molding)

Minnesota Manufacturing Recruiting; Minneapolis, Saint Paul (MN, MN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Minnesota Manufacturing Recruiting is seeking a Process Engineer (Injection Molding) to lead process development, stability, and problem-solving for molding operations in Minneapolis.

You will establish and optimize molding parameters, support new molds and product launches, troubleshoot defects and downtime, and collaborate across production, tooling, maintenance, quality, and purchasing to keep parts running to standard.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in plastics manufacturing with hands-on injection molding process development and troubleshooting.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with scientific molding, DOE, validation, and capability studies.
• Strong working knowledge of thermoplastic materials, resin behavior, mold interaction, and machine processing parameters.
• Ability to read part drawings and specifications and connect them to processing decisions.
• Excellent communication skills with production, maintenance, quality, plant leadership, customers, and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and optimize molding processes for new and existing parts, including setup standards, startup conditions, and approved process windows.
• Improve cycle times, scrap, process consistency, labor efficiency, and machine utilization without compromising part quality.
• Interface with customers, resin suppliers and tool suppliers to optimize DFM.
• Support material selection, resin trials, drying standards, and material handling practices to improve part quality and process repeatability.
• Quote tooling and parts and support Sales in initial customer conversations.

Skills

Injection molding

Process development

DOE

Quality troubleshooting

Reading drawings

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in plastics engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or equivalent experience

Tools

Moldflow

Job description

The Process Engineer (Injection Molding) owns process development, process stability, and technical problem-solving for molding operations. You will establish and improve molding parameters, support new molds and product launches, troubleshoot defects and downtime, and work across production, tooling, maintenance, quality, and purchasing to keep parts running to standard.

What You'll Do

Process Development and Optimization

• Develop, document, and optimize molding processes for new and existing parts, including setup standards, startup conditions, and approved process windows.
• Improve cycle times, scrap, process consistency, labor efficiency, and machine utilization without compromising part quality.
• Interface with customers, resin suppliers and tool suppliers to optimize DFM.
• Support material selection, resin trials, drying standards, and material handling practices to improve part quality and process repeatability.
• Quote tooling and parts and support Sales in initial customer conversations.

Daily Production Support

• Partner with production supervisors, setup personnel, and technicians on floor-level processing issues. Investigate, decide, document, verify.
• Participate in daily production meetings and help prioritize technical actions that protect schedule, quality, and uptime.
• Evaluate molding machines, auxiliaries, robots, and related equipment for processing fit, performance, and improvement opportunities.

Technical Leadership

• Provide hands‑on technical guidance and training to process technicians, setup personnel, supervisors, and operators on sound molding practices.
• Help build processing discipline on the floor through clear standards, direct feedback, and follow‑through.
• Set goals for process improvement that align with plant objectives and report progress to leadership.

Must-Haves

• 5+ years of experience in plastics manufacturing, with strong hands‑on experience in injection molding process development and troubleshooting.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with scientific molding, DOE, validation, and capability studies.
• Strong working knowledge of thermoplastic materials, resin behavior, mold interaction, and machine processing parameters.
• Ability to read part drawings and specifications and connect them to processing decisions.
• Communication skills that hold up with production, maintenance, quality, plant leadership, customers, and suppliers.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with automation, robots, EOAT, and auxiliary equipment in a molding environment.
• Experience leading technical training or mentoring process technicians.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, SPC, Moldflow, or structured continuous improvement tools.