Process Engineer

Clayens US•Greeneville, TN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Plastic Injection Molding Process Engineer is responsible for developing, optimizing, validating, and sustaining injection molding processes to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality production. This position works closely with Operations, Quality, Tooling, Maintenance, Engineering, and Program Management teams to improve manufacturing performance, reduce costs, support new product launches, and drive continuous improvement initiatives throughout the molding operation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
Minimum of 3 to 7 years of experience in plastic injection molding process engineering or advanced process development.
Strong knowledge of injection molding equipment, molds, tooling, and resin processing.
Experience developing and validating molding processes in a manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of scientific molding principles and process optimization techniques.
Experience with root cause analysis, statistical methods, and process capability analysis.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and quality standards.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and manufacturing software systems.
Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Strong communication and project management abilities.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering.
RJG Master Molder Certification or equivalent Scientific Molding certification.
Experience with automation systems, robotics, and machine vision technologies.
Experience in automotive, medical, consumer products, or other high-volume injection molding environments.
Knowledge of DOE (Design of Experiments), Moldflow analysis, and process capability studies.

Responsibilities

Develop, establish, validate, and document robust injection molding processes for new and existing products.
Lead process development activities, including mold trials, process studies, capability analysis, and production validations.
Analyze molding processes and implement improvements to increase productivity, quality, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Troubleshoot molding defects, including flash, short shots, sink marks, burn marks, splay, warpage, dimensional variation, and cosmetic defects.
Utilize scientific molding principles and data-driven methodologies to establish and maintain process controls.
Conduct root cause investigations and implement corrective and preventive actions for process-related issues.
Support new product launches, process qualifications, mold validations, and production ramp-ups.
Develop and maintain standard process sheets, work instructions, validation documentation, and engineering records.
Collaborate with Quality to establish process capability requirements and improve product consistency.
Identify opportunities to reduce cycle times, scrap, downtime, material consumption, and manufacturing costs.
Evaluate and implement process improvements involving automation, robotics, vision systems, and auxiliary equipment.
Partner with Tooling and Maintenance teams to improve mold performance, reliability, and preventive maintenance programs.
Lead continuous improvement projects utilizing problem-solving methodologies.
Support production teams by providing technical guidance and training on molding processes and best practices.
Participate in customer audits, quality investigations, and corrective action activities as required.
Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and company policies.