POSITION SUMMARY:
Reporting to the Director of Operations, the Molding Technical Manager will provide directions to the technical staff and maintenance supervisors as well as provide technical leadership to ensure that Molding processes have the capability and reliability to meet performance requirements to enable the department to achieve its targets. This position is also responsible for food safety and quality procedures to ensure that the Company’s objectives for food safety and quality meet or exceed customer’s and regulatory agency’s requirements.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITES:
Thin Wall Injection Molding Core Expertise:
Deep understanding of high-speed thin wall molding (IML / non-IML)
Process window control: fill speed, pack/hold, venting, shear, cooling
Mold-machine-material interaction (press rigidity, clamp force, tie-bar stretch)
Resin knowledge (PP grades, regrind effects)
Cycle time optimization without sacrificing part quality
Root cause analysis for short shots, warp, splay, burn, and cosmetic defects
Scientific molding & process validation mindset
Tooling & Mold Engineering Leadership:
Mold design fundamentals:
Hot runners (valve gate vs thermal)
Stack molds, multi-cavity balance
Venting strategy critical for thin wall
Tool qualification & transfer management
PM strategy for high-cycle molds (millions of shots)
Tool life management & spare strategy
Tool repair vs redesign decision making
Vendor management (tool shops, hot runner suppliers)
Design for maintainability & uptime
Maintenance & Reliability Engineering:
Maintenance strategy ownership:
Preventive vs Predictive vs Run-to-Failure
CMMS leadership (data-driven decisions)
Press, robot, and auxiliary equipment reliability
Spare parts strategy (critical spares, obsolescence risk)
Troubleshooting at system level (electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic)
Maintenance skills development & certification
Automation & Robotics Expertise:
High-speed part handling robotics (IML robots, side entry, top entry)
End-of-arm tooling design for thin wall parts
Vision systems for quality & orientation
Conveyance, stacking, counting, and downstream integration
Automation safety standards (lockout, guarding, risk assessments)
Automation ROI evaluation & business cases
Integration of automation with molding cycle optimization
Continuous Improvement & Cost Reduction:
Drives performance in safety, quality, uptime, and continuous improvement; sets high standards and holds self and team accountable for outcomes
OEE breakdown (availability, performance, quality)
Scrap reduction & regrind optimization
Energy efficiency in high-speed molding
Cycle time reduction methodology (tenths of seconds matter)
Structured problem solving (A3, DMAIC, 8D, fishbone, 5 why)
Standard work for technicians & setters
Cross-Functional Leadership:
Builds strong technical teams through coaching, feedback, and succession planning; develops bench strength and elevates overall technical capability.
Partners cross-functionally, communicates with clarity under pressure, and models a culture of safety, professionalism, and continuous improvement
Leading tooling, maintenance, and automation teams
Coaching senior technicians and engineers
Translating technical issues for Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain
Prioritization during downtime events
Calm leadership under production pressure
Safety, Quality, & Compliance:
Machine safety & robot cell compliance
GP-12 / containment processes
PFMEA & control plans (process and tooling focused)
Change management for molds and automation
Documentation discipline (not tribal knowledge)
Strategic & Forward-Looking Skills:
Aligns technical and maintenance strategy with plant performance, cost, capacity, and long-term operational objectives. Makes data-driven decisions that strengthen business results.
Long-term tooling and automation roadmap
Capacity & technology planning
Leads capital projects, process improvements, and technology upgrades with discipline; embeds structured…