Plastics Engineer

Key Responsibilities

Product Engineering & 3D Design

• Review product designs for functionality, manufacturability, dimensional accuracy, and cost.
• Apply Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles to injection-molded plastic components.
• Review dimensional tolerances, GD&T, material specifications, and engineering requirements.
• Maintain accurate CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and technical documentation.

Plastic Injection Molding & Tooling

• Evaluate plastic component designs for injection molding feasibility.
• Collaborate with tooling suppliers to review mold designs and resolve technical issues.
• Support mold trials, tooling modifications, and engineering validation.
• Troubleshoot plastic component issues, including warpage, sink marks, dimensional variation, and cosmetic defects.
• Assist with plastic material selection, product optimization, and manufacturing improvements.
• Support tooling development and production readiness for new and existing products.

Daily Engineering & Manufacturing Support

• Respond to daily engineering requests from manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and customers.
• Investigate and resolve product design, dimensional, tooling, and assembly issues.
• Support prototype builds, testing, and engineering validation.
• Design or modify checking fixtures, prototype tooling, and simple assembly stations.
• Support existing production programs through technical problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective actions.

Automotive Program Support

• Support RFQ activities, technical feasibility assessments, and engineering cost evaluations.
• Complete engineering deliverables in accordance with customer requirements and program deadlines.
• Support APQP, PPAP, design validation, and production launch activities.
• Collaborate with program management, quality, purchasing, and manufacturing teams to resolve technical challenges.
• Maintain engineering documentation throughout the product lifecycle.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience in automotive plastic product design, development, or injection-molded components.
• Strong proficiency in at least one professional 3D CAD platform: Siemens NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks.
• Experience creating and modifying 3D models, assemblies, and 2D engineering drawings.
• Strong knowledge of plastic injection molding processes, tooling, plastic materials, and manufacturing methods.
• Understanding of DFM, GD&T, dimensional tolerances, and automotive engineering specifications.
• Experience supporting tooling development, product validation, and manufacturing troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with automotive APQP and PPAP requirements.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.
• Ability to manage multiple engineering priorities and meet customer deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing or developing plastic optical lenses, light guides, and illuminated automotive components.
• Knowledge of optical-grade plastics, including polycarbonate (PC) and PMMA.
• Experience integrating plastic lenses and light guides with LEDs, PCBAs, and electronic assemblies.
• Experience with automotive interior and exterior decorative components.
• Knowledge of Class-A surfaces, painting, plating, coatings, and decorative finishes.
• Familiarity with Moldflow analysis and injection molding simulation.
• Experience designing checking fixtures, prototype tooling, and assembly stations.
• Knowledge of IATF 16949 automotive quality requirements.

What Success Looks Like

• Plastic component designs meet customer specifications and manufacturing requirements.
• Tooling and injection molding challenges are identified and resolved efficiently.
• Optical and illuminated plastic components are successfully integrated into automotive assemblies.
• Manufacturing and quality teams receive timely, practical engineering support.
• Engineering deliverables support customer deadlines and successful production launches.

We are looking for a technically strong engineer who enjoys hands-on design, practical problem-solving, and taking ownership of engineering work from concept through production.

Pay: $65,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person