Senior Injection Molding Engineer

Senior Precision Injection Molding Engineer

Michigan | Greater Detroit Area

Work Arrangement: Flexible / To Be Discussed

Employment Type: Contract or Direct Hire Opportunities Considered

Compensation: Competitive, Based on Experience

Experience: 10+ Years Preferred

Important: Precision Tolerance Experience

Candidates should be prepared to discuss their direct experience achieving ±0.05 mm (50 microns) or tighter dimensional tolerances in injection-molded components.

Position Overview

Cullerton Group is seeking a highly experienced Senior Precision Injection Molding Engineer with demonstrated expertise in developing, optimizing, and validating injection molding processes for small, intricate thermoplastic components requiring dimensional tolerances of ±0.05 mm (50 microns) or tighter.

Experience achieving and consistently maintaining ±0.05 mm or tighter tolerances in injection-molded plastic components is a critical requirement for this opportunity.

We are particularly interested in engineers who have personally developed scientific molding processes for miniature electrical connectors, automotive connector housings, precision electronic components, medical devices, or other high-tolerance plastic products.

The ideal candidate combines extensive hands-on injection molding experience with scientific molding expertise and a proven ability to maintain dimensional accuracy in high-volume manufacturing environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Personally develop, optimize, troubleshoot, and validate precision thermoplastic injection molding processes.
• Establish and maintain stable molding processes capable of consistently achieving ±0.05 mm or tighter dimensional tolerances.
• Develop scientific molding process windows using data-driven techniques.
• Conduct viscosity studies, gate-freeze analysis, pressure-loss studies, DOE, and cavity-pressure monitoring.
• Troubleshoot dimensional variation, shrinkage, warpage, flash, short shots, and other molding defects.
• Optimize molding parameters, tooling performance, material behavior, and process capability.
• Support mold trials, new tooling launches, and process qualification.
• Apply SPC, Cpk, dimensional inspection, and validation methods to ensure repeatable production.
• Collaborate with tooling, product engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to resolve complex molding challenges.
• Provide technical leadership in precision molding process development and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Extensive hands-on thermoplastic injection molding process engineering experience; 10+ years preferred.
• Demonstrated experience personally developing and optimizing injection molding processes for components requiring ±0.05 mm (0.002 inch) dimensional tolerances or tighter.
• Proven ability to consistently maintain tight dimensional tolerances during production, not just prototype trials.
• Experience manufacturing small, intricate, high-precision plastic components.
• Strong scientific molding knowledge, including process development, optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Experience establishing stable processing windows and resolving dimensional variation.
• Knowledge of engineering thermoplastics such as PBT, LCP, PPS, PA66, or comparable materials.
• Understanding of GD&T, SPC, process capability, and dimensional inspection.
• Ability to explain specific molding processes personally developed and the dimensional results achieved.

Preferred Qualifications

• RJG Master Molder I or II certification.
• RJG eDART, decoupled molding, cavity-pressure monitoring, or equivalent technologies.
• Moldflow, Moldex3D, DOE, and advanced process validation experience.
• Precision electrical connector, miniature electronic housing, or sensor component manufacturing.
• Micro-molding, thin-wall molding, insert molding, or high-cavitation precision tooling.
• Medical device or other high-tolerance thermoplastic manufacturing experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline. Equivalent extensive hands-on experience will also be considered.

We are particularly interested in learning:

• What types of precision plastic components have you molded?
• What were the approximate physical dimensions of those components?
• What were the tightest dimensional tolerances you personally achieved and maintained?
• How did you validate dimensional accuracy and process capability?
• What scientific molding techniques did you use to maintain repeatability?

Hands-on injection molding process development is essential. Experience limited to tooling design, product design, or general manufacturing management will not meet the core technical requirements.

Interested?

If you have a proven track record in scientific injection molding and consistently achieving ±0.05 mm or tighter tolerances, we'd like to hear from you.

Apply today or connect with Cullerton Group to discuss this opportunity.

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