Senior Engineer Tooling Molding

IMPACT and OPPORTUNITY

Molding Tooling Senior Engineer to lead the design, development, and lifecycle management of molds used in plastic or rubber molding operations. This role is responsible for ensuring robust, efficient, and cost-effective tooling solutions that support high-volume, high-precision production—particularly within the automotive sector. The ideal candidate has a strong background in mold tooling design, materials, fabrication methods, and supplier management.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead tooling projects from concept through production, including mold design review, DFM, tool sourcing, mold trials, and final approval.
• Oversee the maintenance, modification, and refurbishment of molds to extend tool life and maintain product quality.
• Collaborate with Product Design, Process Engineering, and Quality teams to ensure tool functionality, manufacturability, and part compliance.
• Conduct technical reviews of mold designs (2D/3D) to ensure moldability, cooling efficiency, and mechanical robustness.
• Coordinate with external mold makers and internal teams for tool builds, validations, and repairs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives in tooling performance, cycle time, and ease of maintenance.
• Manage tooling documentation, including BOMs, CAD models, drawing packages, and validation records.
• Lead root cause analysis of tooling-related production issues and implements corrective and preventive actions.
• Monitor and evaluate tooling performance using data from production and maintenance logs.
• Support APQP, PPAP, and engineering change activities in compliance with IATF 16949 standards.
• Strong problem-solving analysis in the lines to optimize resources (production floor, headcount, cycle times, etc.) and decrease waste (scrap, downtime, etc.) by implementing methodology (5W, 8D, etc.) and using tools.
• Create molds specification for quoting purposes with suppliers.
• Keep updated machine and molds and collaborate with preventive maintenance routines.
• Provide continuous technical couching to molding personnel (tooling technicians, setup technicians, maintenance technicians).
• Ensure Engineers comply with applicable APQP process steps.
• Generate and follow up compliance of key indicators with engineers and provide support with escalation roadblocks.
• Ensure Engineers obtain relevant information for transfer projects.
• Provide adequate support to other areas such as: Production, Quality, Manufacturing, etc.
• Ensure that Engineers actively participate as Process Owners.
• Ensure the development of new processes using lean manufacturing techniques.
• Make visits to customers and suppliers as required.
• Attend visits from customers, suppliers or colleagues from other locations as required
• Monitor validation of new or transferred equipment, detect and resolve operational problems that result.
• Meet and satisfy specific customer requirements.
• Work in coordination with other departments to improve plant-wide productivity.
• Create and manage new projects for capital investment, human resource and new equipment requirements, or additional tooling to support operational or replacement requirements.
• Attend TCB (Technical Change Board) meetings.
• Ensure the development and implementation of continuous improvement projects in the manufacturing process to reduce waste.
• Ensure that PPAP'S, test runs, engineering changes are executed based on APQP dates and responsibilities, review results and take necessary corrective actions, and manage resources (manpower, equipment, tooling) for necessary runs according to APQP.
• Provide regular communication with the Department Manager and provide immediate feedback concerning potential failures/obstacles to achieving established goals.
• Provide design and/or tooling feedback to suppliers.
• Attend training and applicable workshops
• Any other activities as deemed appropriate by the Department Manager according to the needs of the company.
• Provide support to the quoting and Design department to identify, define and make estimates for new projects in terms of process and equipment required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Tooling Engineering, Plastics Engineering, or related field.
• 5–10 years of experience in mold tooling engineering (injection or compression), ideally within the automotive or high-volume manufacturing industry.
• Proficiency in interpreting complex mold designs and engineering drawings, with a strong understanding of GD&T.
• Knowledge of mold design principles, tool steels, hot runner systems, and surface treatments/coatings.
• Experience using CAD software (e.g., CATIA, NX, SolidWorks) and mold flow analysis tools (e.g., Moldflow, Sigmasoft).
• Strong project management skills and experience working with international tooling suppliers.
• Solid understanding of mold validation, tryouts, dimensional inspections, and capability studies.
• Familiarity with automotive quality systems: IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, FMEA.
• Knowledge in Engel injection machines.
• GD&T experience.
• Strong technical skills such as electronics, robotics, pneumatics and mechanics.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Certified Mold Designer or Tooling Engineer
• Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher)
• RJG or Scientific Molding Training

LANGUAGE SKILLSS:

• Must be technically and socially fluent in local language and English.