Molding Department Manager

About the role

Manage a fast-paced 5-day/24-hour, tier-one, class-A surface, automotive injection molding department with 40 injection molding machines and a team of mold techs, utilities, and supervisors. Three supervisors (one per shift) report to the department manager. The manager is responsible for daily production with on-time delivery and quality to the downstream departments of paint and assembly.

Responsibilities

• Meets performance objectives for safety, productivity, machine operational availability, change-over time, scrap, and delivery
• Manages proper staffing and machine loading
• Ensures proper training of all employees and mentors supervisors and other key personnel to maintain a competent workforce
• Fosters team cohesiveness, morale, and motivation and a culture of excellence by acting as a hands-on accessible leader who facilitates collaboration and cooperation across all shifts
• Sets a proper safety example, encourages a safety mindset and awareness, ensures corporate and industry standard safety practices are followed, and ensures 5S (cleanliness) is maintained
• Ensures machines and auxiliary equipment are maintained
• Collaborates with the plant molding engineers, and tooling and maintenance departments on continuous improvement to reduce scrap, reduce cycle times, improve machine operational availability, and improve productivity
• Collaborates with the plant lean manufacturing team on inventory levels and lean manufacturing tools and practices with the focus of eliminating waste
• Supports new launches with samples, optimizing processes, end-of-arm tooling, internal packaging, and justifying new equipment
• Adherence to TS16949 standards and procedures
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• College engineering degree
• Five years experience as an engineer in a molding environment
• Two years supervisory experience in a manufacturing environment
• Outstanding leadership, team building, coaching, and decision-making abilities
• Independent thinking with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing at all levels in the organization
• Proven organizational and planning abilities that produce results through execution
• Firm, fair, and consistent approach to company policy and employee management
• High energy level and ability to lead and motivate others
• Current comprehensive technical and hands-on knowledge of scientific injection molding process, molds, robotics and robotic programming, end-of-arm tooling, auxiliary equipment, and central material handling systems
• PLC knowledge and understanding of specifications for infrastructure required to support a molding department (process and chilled water, electrical, compressed air, material handling system) is preferred
• Experience with Wittmann robots, Krauss Maffei, and Van Dorn molding machines is preferred
• Possesses the ability to gather and analyze information and make decisions from a limited number of choices. A minimum score of 50 on the Wonderlic Select Assessment (Traditional Score of 26 on the cognitive portion)

Travel Requirements

This position typically does not require any travel.