Sr. Engineer (Plastic Extrusion)

Overview

We are a growth-oriented manufacturing business with a strong commitment to investing in our operations, employees, and customers. As part of continued investment and operational improvement, we are seeking an experienced, hands-on Sr. Manufacturing Engineer to work directly under our Head of Engineering at our plastic extrusion facility in Northeast Ohio.This role is ideal for an engineer with solid plastic extrusion experience who enjoys being close to the manufacturing floor, designing and improving tooling, supporting production teams, and helping scale operations thoughtfully. The position offers significant exposure to tooling design, machining, process optimization, and downstream extrusion operations.

Responsibilities
Tooling & Engineering
•Design, modify, and optimize extrusion tooling, including dies, calibrators, and related components
•Support in-house tooling fabrication and modification using CNC and EDM equipment
•Lead and support tooling trials, start-ups, and engineering-approved changes
•Create, maintain, and update tooling drawings, specifications, and revision documentation
Manufacturing & Process Support•Work closely with production teams to support extrusion line setup, troubleshooting, and process optimization
•Diagnose and resolve quality issues, dimensional variation, and scrap drivers
•Develop a strong working knowledge of downstream extrusion processes, including cooling systems, pullers, cutters, and secondary operations
•Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, consistency, and cost reduction
Cross-Functional Collaboration•Partner with sales and operations leadership to ensure manufacturing plans support customer demand and growth forecasts
•Provide technical input into new product introductions, tooling investments, and capacity planning
•Collaborate with quality, maintenance, and production leadership to improve overall operational performance
Strategic & Growth Support•Provide technical insight to leadership on capital investments, tooling needs, and operational improvements required to support growth
•Assist in standardizing engineering and tooling best practices across extrusion lines
•Support the development of engineering documentation, processes, and knowledge transfer within the organization
Skills & Experience Required
•Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Plastics, or related field) or equivalent hands-on experience
•7+ years of experience in plastic extrusion, tooling, or manufacturing engineering
•Strong working knowledge of rigid and flexible thermoplastics, including PVC, ABS, ASA, HDPE, LDPE, PP, TPE, and PC
•Experience designing or modifying extrusion tooling, including co-extrusion and vacuum sizing applications
•Solid understanding of downstream extrusion equipment and general mechanical systems
•Ability to read, interpret, and create engineering drawings•Hands-on, shop-floor oriented problem solver
Preferred
•CNC and/or EDM machining experience (hands-on or close collaboration)
•Experience in a small to mid-sized manufacturing environment
•Exposure to capital planning, equipment upgrades, or plant expansions
•Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
•Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, age, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable laws or regulations.

GPAC (Growing People and Companies) is an award-winning search firm specializing in placing quality professionals within multiple industries across the United States since 1990. We are extremely competitive, client-focused and realize that our value is in our ability to deliver the right solutions at the right time.