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Process Engineer Jobs in Illinois

Process Engineer – Plastic Injection Molding

NOW Hiring Heroes
  • Rockford, Illinois
  • Autofill and Review
30+ days ago

Job Description

Position OverviewA growing manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Process Engineer with plastic injection molding expertise to support high-volume production operations. This role focuses on developing, optimizing, and troubleshooting injection molding processes to ensure efficient, consistent, and high-quality manufacturing output.The Process Engineer works closely with process technicians, tooling teams, maintenance, quality, and production leadership to improve cycle times, reduce scrap, increase uptime, and support continuous improvement initiatives.This position also plays a key role in new product launches, equipment upgrades, and automation integration within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.Key ResponsibilitiesInjection Molding Process Development
  • Develop, document, and optimize plastic injection molding processes for new and existing molds
  • Provide technical guidance to process technicians and molding operators
  • Troubleshoot molding defects, process instability, and equipment performance issues
  • Improve cycle times, scrap reduction, and process repeatability
  • Support mold trials, machine startups, and process validation
Manufacturing Process Improvement
  • Analyze production data and implement improvements to increase efficiency and OEE
  • Lead process validation activities including DOE, IQ/OQ/PQ, and capability studies
  • Identify opportunities for cost reduction and manufacturing efficiency
  • Participate in Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma initiatives
Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with tooling, quality, maintenance, and operations teams
  • Support preventive and predictive maintenance strategies
  • Evaluate mold performance and recommend tooling improvements
  • Assist project teams with new product introductions
Automation & Equipment Integration
  • Support integration of molding cells with robotics, vision inspection, and automated packaging systems
  • Assist with installation and commissioning of molding machines and auxiliary equipment
  • Identify automation opportunities to improve production efficiency
Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
  • 5+ years of experience in plastic injection molding manufacturing
  • Experience with high-speed injection molding processes
  • Experience developing scientific molding processes
  • Experience conducting Design of Experiments (DOE)
  • Experience troubleshooting molding processes and mold issues
  • Strong understanding of Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with thin-wall packaging applications
  • Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma certification
  • Continuous Improvement Green Belt certification
  • Training in Scientific Molding or RJG technology
  • Experience integrating robotics or automated production systems
  • Experience working in regulated manufacturing environments
Technical Skills
  • Knowledge of polypropylene, polyethylene, and other packaging resins
  • Strong understanding of OEE metrics and process improvement
  • Experience performing root cause analysis and process troubleshooting
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office
  • Familiarity with ERP or MES manufacturing systems
Why This Role
  • Work in a modern manufacturing environment
  • Opportunity to lead process improvement initiatives
  • Exposure to high-speed production and advanced automation
  • Impact production efficiency, quality, and operational performance

Numbers & Facts

LocationRockford, Illinois

Skills

  • Automationunmatched
  • Commissioningunmatched
  • Continuous Improvementunmatched
  • Cost Controlunmatched
  • Cross-Functionalunmatched
  • Data Analysisunmatched
  • ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)unmatched
  • Experiment Designunmatched
  • Identify Issuesunmatched
  • Improvement Metricsunmatched
  • Injection Moldingunmatched
  • Leadershipunmatched
  • Lean Manufacturingunmatched
  • Lean Six Sigmaunmatched
  • Machine Toolunmatched
  • Manufacturingunmatched
  • Manufacturing Costunmatched
  • Manufacturing Engineeringunmatched
  • Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)unmatched
  • Manufacturing Systemsunmatched
  • Manufacturing/Industrial Processesunmatched
  • Mechanical Engineeringunmatched
  • Microsoft Officeunmatched
  • Molding Processesunmatched
  • Plastic Injection Moldingunmatched
  • Plastics Manufacturingunmatched
  • Preventative Maintenanceunmatched
  • Process Developmentunmatched
  • Process Engineeringunmatched
  • Process Improvementunmatched
  • Process Validationunmatched
  • Product/Service Launchunmatched
  • Production Systemsunmatched
  • Production Volumeunmatched
  • Roboticsunmatched
  • Root Cause Analysisunmatched
  • Six Sigma Certificationunmatched
  • Six Sigma Green Beltunmatched
  • Statistical Process Controlunmatched
  • System Start-Upunmatched
  • Technical Leadershipunmatched
  • United States Department of Energy (DOE)unmatched

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