Lead Mold Technician

Trelleborg•Menomonie, WI

About The Position

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Install injection molds into molding machines. Verify that all set-up conditions are met according to the set-up checklist Verify that material is ready for production use (e.g. – drying conditions) Obtain correct material from dryers or staging areas Process material according to manufacturer’s specifications or guidelines Cycle molds to establish correct processing parameters Troubleshoot molding problems to maintain part quality and cycle integrity Interact with tooling and engineering for mold and/or part corrections Assure all safety devices are operating properly Properly tag mold pending condition as needed Return molds to tooling area and put away as needed Assist maintenance technicians with equipment troubleshooting Verify order quantities and machine center schedule Demonstrated ability to lead without direct authority, coordinate team priorities, and communicate across shifts. Train and coach Mold Technicians and others as needed on proper setup/molding practices, basic processing knowledge, and troubleshooting methods. Strong troubleshooting skills (process, machine, material, tooling) with ability to teach others. Monitor machine performance after setup to ensure stability, repeatability, and compliance with standard process settings. Support validation activities, mold trials, and engineering runs as needed. Work closely with Production, Quality, Engineering, Tooling, and Maintenance to resolve ongoing process or mold-related concerns. Identify recurring mold or process issues and communicate recommendations for corrective action or continuous improvement. Support 5S and housekeeping standards in the molding department, including presses, tooling areas, and molding toolboxes. Monitors/maintains inventory of production consumables. Escalate unresolved technical, quality, or safety issues to the appropriate supervisor, engineer, or manager. Assist in establishing and improving setup reduction activities to decrease changeover time. Ability to read/interpret process sheets, prints, control plans, and quality alerts. Assign and prioritize daily work for mold techs based on schedule, downtime risk, and quality needs. Lead shift start-up / handoff communications (Tier 1-3 input, passdown notes, top issues/risks). Act as escalation point for press alarms, process deviations, and line-down events; ensure proper notifications. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent
Must have good written and verbal communication skills
Ability to use basic hand measurement tools (calipers, micrometers, gauge pins, etc.) as required
Self-starter with minimal supervision necessary
Five (5) years as a mold set-up technician or process technician is strongly preferred
Leadership experience required
General computer proficiency

Nice To Haves

Experience with medical devices and cleanroom environments desired
Knowledge of ISO 13485:2016 & 9001:2015 and Good Documentation Practices preferred
3rd party molding process certifications through AIM or RJG experience desired

Responsibilities

Install injection molds into molding machines.
Verify that all set-up conditions are met according to the set-up checklist
Verify that material is ready for production use (e.g. – drying conditions)
Obtain correct material from dryers or staging areas
Process material according to manufacturer’s specifications or guidelines
Cycle molds to establish correct processing parameters
Troubleshoot molding problems to maintain part quality and cycle integrity
Interact with tooling and engineering for mold and/or part corrections
Assure all safety devices are operating properly
Properly tag mold pending condition as needed
Return molds to tooling area and put away as needed
Assist maintenance technicians with equipment troubleshooting
Verify order quantities and machine center schedule
Demonstrated ability to lead without direct authority, coordinate team priorities, and communicate across shifts.
Train and coach Mold Technicians and others as needed on proper setup/molding practices, basic processing knowledge, and troubleshooting methods.
Strong troubleshooting skills (process, machine, material, tooling) with ability to teach others.
Monitor machine performance after setup to ensure stability, repeatability, and compliance with standard process settings.
Support validation activities, mold trials, and engineering runs as needed.
Work closely with Production, Quality, Engineering, Tooling, and Maintenance to resolve ongoing process or mold-related concerns.
Identify recurring mold or process issues and communicate recommendations for corrective action or continuous improvement.
Support 5S and housekeeping standards in the molding department, including presses, tooling areas, and molding toolboxes.
Monitors/maintains inventory of production consumables.
Escalate unresolved technical, quality, or safety issues to the appropriate supervisor, engineer, or manager.
Assist in establishing and improving setup reduction activities to decrease changeover time.
Ability to read/interpret process sheets, prints, control plans, and quality alerts.
Assign and prioritize daily work for mold techs based on schedule, downtime risk, and quality needs.
Lead shift start-up / handoff communications (Tier 1-3 input, passdown notes, top issues/risks).
Act as escalation point for press alarms, process deviations, and line-down events; ensure proper notifications.
Other duties as assigned.