Plastics/Tooling Development Manager

Truck-Lite

$95K — $115K *
Erie, PA 16509In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-10 years of industry experience specifically in injection mold tooling.
  • Strong knowledge of materials, design, construction, and maintenance of molds.
  • Experience with CNC machining, EDM, polishing, and general machining techniques.
  • Proficient in 3D CAD modeling, preferably in NX or SolidWorks.
  • B.S. degree or higher in Plastics Engineering, Plastics Engineering Technology, or Mechanical Engineering preferred.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the tooling team, including 2 Plastics/Tooling Engineers and 2-3 Mechanical Technicians.
  • Contribute as a member of the NPI team, focusing on plastic injection mold design.
  • Support life cycle management tasks including tooling repairs and troubleshooting.
  • Provide budgetary quotes and project timelines for the NPI team.
  • Prioritize projects for Tool Engineers and Mechanical Technicians to optimize workflow.
  • Guide plastic material selection based on product specifications and performance.
  • Oversee the design and qualification of injection mold tooling, ensuring quality and cost objectives are met.

Benefits

  • Direct management of a skilled team enhancing leadership growth.
  • Work on cutting-edge products like LED lighting for commercial vehicles.
  • Engagement with multi-disciplinary teams, fostering collaborative innovation.
  • Opportunities for training and professional development within the role.
Full Job Description
Description

Responsibilities include:
Manager: Tooling expert with management responsibilities. Position will include management of the following direct reports:

o 2 Plastics/Tooling Engineers

o 2-3 Mechanical Technicians (Mold makers)
NPI (New Product Development) Team Member: Position and department serve as internal experts for plastic injection mold design and development on a multi-disciplinary Engineering team. NPI teams consist of technical experts in areas of Mechanical Design, Electronics, Optics, Manufacturing/Process, and Validation.
Life Cycle / Subcontracted Tool Support: Provide support and technical input as requested for life of product line (tooling repairs, Engineering changes, troubleshooting, etc.).
Product Types: Products include (but are not limited to) LED headlamps & fog lamps, LED signal & marker lighting, wire harnesses, and other state-of-the-art lighting and visibility products for commercial vehicles.
Primary Job & Departmental Functions:

o Quote Development - Provide budgetary quotes and timing to the NPI team for quoting purposes.

o Prioritization - Prioritization of projects for both Tool Engineers and Mechanical Technicians.

o Performance Reviews, Training, and Development - Required tasks pertaining to your team.

o Plastic Materials - Provide input to plastic material selection based on intended use, operating environment, and part appearance requirements.

o Plastic Part Design & Analysis - Provide input to plastic part design for optimized quality, manufacturability, and appearance. Design input is based on factors such as wall thickness, intended gating, draft & texture requirements, tooling construction - parting line, slides & secondary actions, etc.

o Moldflow Analysis - Perform initial analysis to validate initial design and establish ideal molding process (gate location, tonnage, cycle time, weld/knit line locations, predicted warpage).

o Injection Mold Tooling Development - The position will have primary responsibility for overall plastic part tooling development:

§ Develop Mold Specifications (cavitation, gate & runner type, tooling materials, etc.)

§ Sourcing - Manages tool sourcing & development process following Truck-Lite procedures and practices. (Quote, vendor selection, design & build, sampling/verification, and final approvals)

§ Design : Review and approve mold designs developed by selected tooling suppliers. Oversee tooling design & development activities to ensure cost, quality, and timing objectives are met. Directly responsible for mold designs for tools built at our internal shop.

§ Qualification : Attend mold qualification trials, establish, and document ideal process parameters, verify molded part quality, provide final approvals and sign-off.

Processing: Provide support to manufacturing teams for in-house mold qualifications. Assist in problem solving efforts to resolve manufacturing issues related to injection mold tooling, material, or processes.

Tool Build Expert: Tool building/development is a requirement as it is needed to support the Mechanical Technicians that report to this position.

Requirements
  • Minimum 5-10 years industry experience with direct experience with injection mold tooling - Materials, Design, Construction, and Maintenance
  • Familiarity with general machine shop equipment and capabilities (CNC machining, EDM, Polishing, Grinding, General bench, etc.)
  • 3D CAD Modeling (NX or SolidWorks)
  • Preferred candidates have a B.S. degree or higher in Plastics Engineering, Plastics Engineering Technology, or Mechanical Engineering


Position requires compliance with the Technology Control Plan and the Federal Export Control Policy established for the Corporation.

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