Polymer Manufacturing Engineer

Description

Hybrid:
This position does not require full-time on-site presence. However, the general expectation is that the employee will be on-site approximately three (3) days per week.

The Role:
We're seeking a Polymer Manufacturing Engineer to lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) efforts across major engineering projects. This role focuses on part design, injection molding, resin selection, cost optimization, equipment, supplier management, and manufacturing processes. Operating in a centralized engineering environment, you'll apply creativity and initiative to drive quality and efficiency. You'll collaborate with cross-functional teams and suppliers to develop thermoplastic parts and molds that meet high standards for quality and performance, supporting the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).

What You'll Do (Responsibilities):

• Lead suppliers in developing optimized molding processes that produce high-quality parts with reduced cycle times.
• Create and manage tool concept sheets for critical plastic parts and molds, integrating them into cost estimation workflows.
• Validate tooling through closed-loop feedback and standardized manufacturing engineering practices.
• Continuously improve mold tooling and manufacturing processes with Tier I suppliers and internal teams, aligning with GM global standards.
• Support Strategic Tooling Initiatives (STI) to deliver high-value solutions in collaboration with suppliers.
• Establish transparent workflows between tool concept inputs and cost outputs.
• Develop and train others on best practices for injection-molded parts.
• Partner with Product Engineering teams to implement effective design and manufacturing strategies.
• Apply expertise in Class-A surface appearance requirements for molded, painted, chromed, or metalized automotive parts.
• Formulate cost-effective, high-quality solutions by optimizing part design, tooling, and processing variables.
• Collaborate globally to develop plastic part and tool designs that meet cost and quality goals.
• Use mold filling analysis software to deliver design solutions that reduce mold debug time and improve part quality

• Hands-on experience with plastic processing and/or tooling.
• Proficiency in Unigraphics NX or equivalent CAD software.
• Familiarity with injection mold filling analysis tools such as Autodesk Moldflow.
• Bachelor's degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a closely related field.

• 5+ years of experience in plastic processing and/or tooling.
• MS in Plastics or Mechanical Engineering and/or MBA.
• Autodesk Moldflow Associate or Professional Certification.
• Design for Six Sigma Green or Black Belt Certification.
• Background in scientific molding and process control (e.g., RJG).
• Experience with statistical techniques such as Six Sigma.
• Proficiency in formal problem-solving methods such as Shainin and/or Design of Experiment (DOE)
• Multilingual communication skills (Spanish, Portuguese, German, Korean, and/or Chinese).