Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Injection Molding (Richmond, IN)

Abbott Laboratories; Richmond (IN); On-site; USD 78,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Laboratories in Richmond, IN is seeking a mold and process expert focused on food-packaging GMP compliance and continuous process improvement. You will own molding windows, lead validations, and drive quality with scientific molding methods.

You will coordinate mold design and maintenance, mentor technicians, and manage cross-functional projects to deliver on-time tooling and capacity expansions in a high-volume environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Plastics Engineering, or related field.
• 5-7+ years of injection molding experience in high-volume manufacturing.
• Direct experience with mold design fundamentals and mold maintenance programs.
• Hands-on troubleshooting of presses, hot runner systems, auxiliaries, and automation.
• Demonstrated project management with on-time execution of tooling or process changes.
• Lean Six Sigma tools (Green Belt preferred).
• Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP principles, and food-packaging manufacturing practices.
• Strong ability to coach and teach technicians on processes, safety, and GMP requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize injection molding process windows to meet safety, quality, and OEE targets.
• Lead IQ/OQ/PQ validations, capability studies, and golden setup documentation.
• Apply SPC, DOE, and scientific molding principles to reduce scrap and drive consistent quality.
• Influence mold design with toolmakers and manage preventive and predictive maintenance.
• Troubleshoot mold issues and coordinate timely repairs.
• Lead mold transfers, tool qualifications, press installations, and capacity expansions.
• Build and manage project timelines with deliverables and risks.
• Deliver hands-on support to technicians and train on GMP expectations.

Skills

Injection molding experience

Project management

Lean Six Sigma

Troubleshooting presses

Coaching technicians

Food-packaging GMP knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Plastics Engineering or related field

Tools

Moldflow/Sigmasoft

SolidWorks CAD

Job description

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Richmond, IN location in the Abbott Nutrition division.

Our Nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure®, and Glucerna® – to help them get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest lives.

What You'll Work On

Food Packaging & GMP Compliance

• Ensure all molding operations, tooling, and material handling meet Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and food-contact packaging requirements.
• Maintain compliance with site hygiene rules, foreign-material controls, resin traceability, allergen-free production, and sanitation standards.
• Partner with Quality to support audits, corrective actions, and documentation aligned with FDA food-contact or relevant regulatory standards.

Process Ownership & Improvement

• Own and optimize injection molding process windows to meet safety, quality, and OEE targets.
• Lead IQ/OQ/PQ validations, capability studies, and golden setup documentation.
• Apply SPC, DOE, and scientific molding principles to reduce scrap and drive consistent quality.

Mold Design & Maintenance Programs

• Influence mold design with toolmakers (cooling layout, venting, gating, materials, coatings).
• Own the preventive and predictive mold maintenance program, including refurbishment standards and tooling lifecycle tracking.
• Troubleshoot mold issues (venting, wear, gate erosion, leaks, stack alignment) and coordinate timely repairs.

Project Management & Execution

• Lead mold transfers, new tool qualifications, press installations, resin changes, and capacity expansions.
• Build and manage project timelines with clear deliverables, risks, and stakeholder communication.
• Coordinate vendor activities including FAT/SAT, run-at-rate, and site acceptance criteria.

Shop-Floor Leadership & Development

• Provide hands-on support to technicians and setup personnel on machine setup, process troubleshooting, and standard work.
• Deliver training on GMP expectations, scientific molding practices, quality checks, and safety compliance.
• Drive floor-level engagement through gemba walks, daily tier meetings, and real-time issue escalation.

Lean Six Sigma & Troubleshooting

• Apply DMAIC, A3, SPC, DOE, 5 Why, Fishbone, and SMED to eliminate variation and improve flow.
• Lead kaizens to reduce changeovers, improve material handling, and optimize packaging-specific checks.
• Standardize best practices and sustain improvements through documentation and visual controls.

Safety, Compliance & Documentation

• Ensure compliance with safety rules, LOTO, machine guarding, and resin handling procedures.
• Maintain accurate mold history logs, process sheets, control plans, PFMEAs, SOPs, and GMP records.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Plastics Engineering, or related field.
• 5-7+ years of injection molding experience in high-volume manufacturing.
• Direct experience with mold design fundamentals and mold maintenance programs.
• Hands-on troubleshooting of presses, hot runner systems, auxiliaries, and automation.
• Demonstrated project management with on‑time execution of tooling or process changes.
• Lean Six Sigma tools (Green Belt preferred).
• Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP principles, and food-packaging manufacturing practices.
• Strong ability to coach and teach technicians on processes, safety, and GMP requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with scientific molding.
• Familiarity with Moldflow/Sigmasoft and CAD review (SolidWorks).
• Experience in regulated environments relevant to food packaging (e.g., FDA 21 CFR for food-contact plastics).
• Knowledge of resin families used in food-contact applications.
• 3D Printing Knowledge
• Demonstrated Machining and Fabrication Capabilities

The base pay for this position is $78,000.00 - $156,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.