Lead Design Engineer

We are seeking a Lead Design Engineer to transform customer needs and technical requirements into innovative thermoformed plastic packaging solutions. This role will be responsible for developing product designs, specifications, tooling designs, and tooling specifications from initial concept through production.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on engineer with experience in plastics, thermoforming, product design, or tooling who enjoys managing projects and working directly with both internal teams and customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to sales teams, present design solutions, and develop strong customer relationships.
• Lead new product designs from initial concept through prototypes, samples, customer approval, and production.
• Create complex 2D and 3D CAD geometry for thermoformed and plastic packaging products, including:
• Rigid plastic trays, retainers, and clamshells
• Flexible TPU pouches, liners, and clamshells
• Develop tooling models and drawings for production equipment, including:
• Roll-fed thermoform automatic inline equipment
• Sheet-fed automatic thermoform equipment
• Apply knowledge of thermoforming and plastic manufacturing processes to product and tooling designs.
• Utilize knowledge of plastic materials, formulations, and characteristics to develop solutions that meet customer requirements.
• Work with pricing, process engineering, and internal/external tooling vendors to establish tooling specifications, optimize designs, obtain quotes, and support tooling procurement.
• Provide engineering support to Quality and Production for tooling, measurement studies, product design, tooling revisions, machine operation, process improvements, and material selection.
• Initiate and review engineering change orders related to customer design changes, drawings, and specifications.
• Ensure designs and processes comply with applicable safety, ISO procedures, quality requirements, and work instructions.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and competing priorities while maintaining strong communication with customers and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with 3 years of product or tooling design experience; OR
• Associate degree with 7 years of product or tooling design experience in the plastics industry.
• Strong proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD systems.
• Experience designing products and/or tooling for plastics manufacturing.

Midwest Staffing Group & KeyStaff Professionals prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, and any other characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and/or local laws.

IND2

Pay: $80,000.00 - $125,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• Plastics extrusion: 3 years (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $80,000 - $125,000