Senior Injection Molding Process Technician

Senior Injection Molding Process Technician

Crown Plastics USA Location: Benicia, CA → Dixon, CA
Schedule: Full-Time | 2nd Shift | 3:00pm - 11:30pm | M-F
Compensation: 32.00–40.00 per hour, depending on experience and demonstrated technical competency

About Crown Plastics

Crown Plastics USA is a growing custom injection molding manufacturer serving established B2B customers across multiple industries. As we continue to grow and prepare for our relocation to Dixon, we are strengthening our production systems, technical capabilities, quality processes, and leadership structure.

We are a hands-on manufacturing environment. This role is designed for an experienced molding professional who can independently support day-to-day injection molding operations while helping us build more consistent, repeatable processes for the future.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Injection Molding Process Technician to serve as a senior hands-on technical resource within our manufacturing operation.

Unlike our Injection Molding Technician I / II / Lead career-track positions, this is not a developmental molding role. The successful candidate should already be capable of independently setting up molds, starting and adjusting processes, diagnosing molding defects, troubleshooting equipment and process problems, and supporting stable production.

This position will work alongside a highly experienced senior molding advisor/trainer, allowing for transfer of Crown-specific tooling, machine, process, and historical knowledge while assuming primary responsibility for the physical, day-to-day technical work required on the production floor.

Primary ResponsibilitiesInjection Molding Setup & Processing

• Perform mold changes, mold installation, setup, startup, shutdown, and changeovers.
• Establish and adjust machine processing parameters including temperatures, pressures, speeds, hold/pack settings, cooling, clamp force, and cycle conditions.
• Verify proper machine, mold, material, auxiliary equipment, and process setup before production.
• Safely start and stabilize production following mold changes or interruptions.
• Maintain repeatable process settings and document successful setup/process conditions.

Troubleshooting & Technical Support

• Independently diagnose common injection molding defects including flash, short shots, burns, splay, sinks, warpage, dimensional variation, sticking, and other process-related defects.
• Systematically determine whether production problems originate from the process, material, mold/tooling, machine, auxiliary equipment, or operating practices.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, hydraulic core-pull, pneumatic, heating/cooling, material-handling, and basic electrical/control issues within the appropriate scope of the position.
• Determine when a problem can be corrected at the press and when additional maintenance, tooling, engineering, or outside technical support is required.
• Respond to production downtime and technical problems with an emphasis on safe, sustainable solutions rather than temporary workarounds.

Process Optimization

• Monitor and improve process stability, cycle time, scrap, downtime, and repeatability.
• Identify recurring technical problems and help establish permanent corrective actions.
• Support new molds, new materials, process trials, first-piece production, and process validation.
• Help transition tribal knowledge and historical machine/mold settings into documented, repeatable processes.

Quality & Production Support

• Partner with Quality and Production to ensure molded parts meet established specifications.
• Support first-piece and startup verification.
• Assist with root-cause investigation of molding-related quality issues.
• Make appropriate process corrections without compromising product quality or process stability.
• Communicate technical concerns clearly to Production, Quality, and leadership.

Training & Knowledge Transfer

• Work closely with Crown's senior molding advisor/trainer to learn Crown-specific machines, molds, materials, customers, and historical process knowledge.
• Help train and develop Injection Molding Technician I and II employees.
• Reinforce safe mold-change, setup, startup, troubleshooting, and processing practices.
• Contribute to standardized setup sheets, troubleshooting guides, work instructions, and technical training.

What We're Looking ForRequired

• Approximately 5+ years of hands-on injection molding experience or equivalent demonstrated technical competency.
• Proven ability to independently perform mold changes, machine setup, startup, processing, and troubleshooting.
• Strong working knowledge of injection molding principles and process variables.
• Ability to diagnose common molding defects and systematically identify root causes.
• Experience working with thermoplastic materials and appropriate material handling/drying requirements.
• Working knowledge of common injection molding auxiliary equipment.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and practical troubleshooting ability.
• Ability to read and interpret part drawings, specifications, dimensions, tolerances, and other technical manufacturing documentation.
• Experience safely operating a forklift; current forklift certification preferred, or ability to complete company-required certification.
• Ability to safely perform the physical requirements of mold setup, equipment adjustment, troubleshooting, material handling, and production support.
• Ability to document processes and communicate technical information clearly.
• Reliable attendance and ability to work full-time on-site.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Preferred

• 7–10+ years of injection molding experience.
• Experience serving as a Senior Technician, Lead Technician, Process Technician, Setup Technician, or similar advanced molding role.
• Experience training or mentoring junior technicians and operators.
• Experience with process optimization, scrap reduction, cycle-time improvement, and root-cause analysis.
• Experience with robots/pickers, dryers, chillers/thermolators, hot runners, material-handling systems, and related auxiliary equipment.
• Experience supporting multiple machines, molds, materials, and production priorities in a custom manufacturing environment.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is valuable but not required if technical communication requirements can otherwise be met.

What Success Looks Like

A successful Senior Injection Molding Process Technician can be given a machine, mold, material, part requirements, and a production problem and systematically determine what is happening and what needs to be corrected.

This person does not need 30+ years of experience or immediate knowledge of every Crown-specific mold or machine. They do need enough technical foundation and hands-on experience to operate independently while learning Crown's specific equipment, tooling, products, and historical processes from our senior technical advisor.

Role Within the Technical Career Path

Injection Molding Technician IDeveloping technical competency; performs defined setup and molding responsibilities with support.

Injection Molding Technician IIExperienced technician capable of broader setup, troubleshooting, and independent production support.

Lead Injection Molding TechnicianAdvanced technician capable of supporting production, solving more complex problems, and guiding less-experienced technicians.

Senior Injection Molding Process TechnicianSenior hands-on technical resource responsible for independent process troubleshooting, optimization, complex setup/startup support, and technical development of the molding team.

The Senior level is a technical progression and does not automatically require direct people-management responsibility.

Training & Growth

The Senior Injection Molding Process Technician will work directly with Crown's experienced senior molding advisor/trainer during the transition period. This provides an opportunity to combine established injection molding expertise with decades of Crown-specific institutional knowledge.

The long-term objective is to strengthen Crown's internal technical capability, reduce dependence on any one individual's knowledge, and develop a stronger molding technician pipeline across the organization.

Location

Crown Plastics currently operates in Benicia, California and is preparing to relocate operations to Dixon, California ~January

Final starting-location language will be confirmed before posting.

Crown Plastics USA is an equal opportunity employer.

Pay: $32.00 - $40.00 per hour

Work Location: In person