What are the responsibilities and job description for the Design Engineer position at Aprios Custom MFG?
Tool Engineer & Designer
Brooklyn Park, MN | Full-Time | 1st Shift | Employee-Owned Company
Shape the Tools That Drive Manufacturing Success!
Are you passionate about injection mold design, DFM, and bringing new products to life? At Aprios Custom MFG, we're looking for an experienced Tool Engineer & Designer to take ownership of injection mold tooling from concept through production launch.
This is an opportunity to make a direct impact on product success while working closely with customers, engineering, quality, manufacturing, and toolmakers. If you enjoy solving complex molding challenges, influencing part design, and seeing your tooling designs become reality, we'd love to talk with you.
Why Join Aprios?
- 100% Employee-Owned Company
- High-impact, visible engineering role
- Opportunity to lead tooling strategy for new product launches
- Collaborative, hands-on engineering culture
- Competitive compensation and benefits
- Strong opportunities for professional growth
What You'll Do
Lead Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
- Drive DFM reviews with customers and cross-functional teams
- Evaluate part designs for moldability and manufacturing success
- Recommend design improvements related to gating, draft, cooling, ejection, warpage, and more
- Utilize mold flow analysis to optimize tool performance
- Review prints and GD&T requirements and establish steel-safe strategies
- Identify risks early and drive action plans before tool kickoff
Own Tool Engineering & Mold Design
- Define tooling strategies including cavitation, runner systems, mold types, steel selection, and cycle time targets
- Design injection molds and mold components using SolidWorks
- Create detailed 3D models, drawings, and tooling specifications
- Design mold modifications, replacement inserts, fixtures, and end-of-arm tooling
- Partner with outsourced tool builders and internal toolmakers throughout tool construction
Support Program Launch & Continuous Improvement
- Manage tool builds from kickoff through qualification and production release
- Validate tool performance and production readiness
- Troubleshoot tooling and molding issues to support manufacturing
- Collaborate with engineering, quality, and operations teams to deliver successful launches
What We're Looking For
- Experience designing plastic injection molds and tooling systems
- Strong understanding of DFM, moldability, and plastic part design principles
- Proficiency with SolidWorks and 3D CAD design
- Knowledge of hot runner systems, cooling, venting, ejection, slides, and lifters
- Experience working with mold makers, tool shops, and manufacturing teams
- Understanding of GD&T, mold flow analysis, and quality planning processes
- Strong problem-solving and project management skills
- Excellent communication skills with customers and cross-functional teams
Ideal Background
- Tool Engineering
- Mold Design
- Plastics Engineering
- Injection Molding Manufacturing
- Product Development & New Program Launches
- APQP / PPAP experience preferred
Build More Than Tools. Build the Future.
At Aprios Custom MFG, you'll have the opportunity to influence product design, lead critical tooling decisions, and see your work move from concept to production. If you're ready to take ownership of complex tooling programs and make a lasting impact, we want to hear from you.