Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Ingersoll Rand is a company with over 160 years of technology leadership, focusing on innovative flow creation and life science technologies. The Principal Plastics Manufacturing Engineer will drive design-for-manufacturability and cost optimization for silicone and elastomer-based products, serving as a subject matter expert and strategic leader throughout the manufacturing process.
Responsibilities
- Lead comprehensive DFM evaluations for elastomer components and assemblies, providing actionable recommendations to optimize:
- Manufacturability and scalability
- Yield, robustness, and quality
- Cost efficiency and margin performance
- Regulatory and validation readiness
- Influence customer designs upstream through direct technical engagement and design reviews
- Identify critical-to-quality features, tolerance risks, and process limitations
- Define optimal manufacturing approaches across:
- LSR injection molding
- HCR molding (compression, transfer)
- Extrusion and downstream operations
- Multi-shot, overmolding, and bonded assemblies
- Serve as the technical owner of RFQs, developing detailed, transparent cost models for prototype through full production
- Translate DFM decisions into:
- Cycle time, cavitation, and capacity strategies
- Tooling concepts and lifecycle strategies (prototype vs production tooling)
- Labor, material utilization, scrap, and secondary operations
- Develop and present:
- Multi-scenario pricing strategies (volume tiers, automation levels, tooling options)
- NRE, validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), and lifecycle cost considerations
- Partner with Sales and Business Development in customer-facing technical and commercial discussions
- Ensure alignment between technical assumptions, cost structure, and business objectives
- Define the end-to-end manufacturing strategy, including:
- Prototyping approach and scale-up pathway
- Tooling phases and capital investment strategy
- Automation and inspection strategies
- Validation and qualification roadmap
- Define and evaluate tooling approaches:
- Multi-cavity vs. family molds
- Cold runner systems, gating, venting, and parting line strategies
- Steel selection, mold class, and lifecycle considerations
- Collaborate with Process Engineering, Tooling, Quality, and Operations to:
- Validate manufacturability assumptions
- Optimize cycle time, yield, and throughput
- Drive early-stage decisions that impact long-term operational efficiency, cost, and capacity
- Act as a technical bridge across:
- Sales / Business Development
- Engineering (Process, Tooling, Project)
- Quality (validation, regulatory requirements)
- Supply Chain (materials, MOQs, lead times)
- Lead technical reviews during RFQ, contract review, and NPI phases
- Ensure manufacturability, cost, and quality assumptions are clearly documented and transferred into execution
- Drive should-cost modeling and cost-out initiatives though improved mold designs, optimized cycle times, or new automation opportunities
- Analyze quote-to-actual performance and refine estimating accuracy
- Establish and standardize:
- DFM guidelines
- Costing methodologies
- Quoting best practices and templates
- Identify and implement improvements in:
- Tool design
- Process efficiency
- Material utilization
- Automation strategies
- Mentor and develop engineers in DFM, elastomer processing, and cost engineering
- Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for silicone and rubber processing technologies
- Support capability development and capital investment planning
- Contribute to long-term technology roadmaps and strategic growth initiatives
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Materials, Polymer, or similar)
- 10+ years of experience in elastomer manufacturing, DFM or process engineering
- Deep expertise in: Silicone (LSR, HCR) and rubber materials
- Compression, transfer, and injection molding processes
- Tooling design principles (cavitation, gating, venting, materials)
- Cost modeling and estimating for elastomer components
- Proven experience in Validation requirements (IQ/OQ/PQ), APQP, PPAP
- Interpreting engineering drawings, GD&T, and 3D CAD models
- Regulatory and customer specifications (medical preferred)
- Experience working in cross-functional and customer-facing roles
- Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks)
- Experience in medical device manufacturing (Class II / Class III)
- Experience in technical quoting and cost modeling
- Experience with: Mold flow analysis and interpretation
- Automation and high-volume manufacturing systems
- Multi-material molding (overmolding, bonding, insert molding)
- Experience in CDMO environment
- Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing certification
Benefits
- Discretionary/nondiscretionary annual bonuses and incentive compensation
- Medical and prescription plans
- Dental and vision coverage
- Wellness programs
- Life insurance
- A robust 401(k) plan
- Paid time off
- Employee stock grant
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