Plastics Engineer

About Us

HSM Company History | HSM HEART Company Values | Who is HSM to our customers?
Founded in 1944, HSM is a third generation, privately held company with a rich history of innovation and a commitment to our people. With 25 locations across the U.S. and corporate headquarters in Hickory, NC and Huntersville, NC, we specialize in manufacturing components for furniture, bedding, transportation, packaging, automotive, and healthcare industries. Our expertise also includes designing and building automated production machinery. HSM products from sofa springs to swimming pool noodles and bus seats, touch everyday life in countless ways.
If you’re looking for a meaningful place to grow and make an impact, we want to hear from you!

What You Will Do

• Product Design and Development
• Create and maintain 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, product specifications, bills of material, and lifecycle documentation.
• Develop functional prototypes through additive manufacturing and 3D printing to support concept evaluation, fit and function studies, customer demonstrations, and manufacturing feasibility reviews.
• Select plastic materials, resins, finishes, and manufacturing methods based on performance requirements, environmental conditions, regulatory standards, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Manage engineering changes, product revisions, and configuration-controlled documentation.
• Lead assigned product development projects from concept and prototype through validation, launch, and ongoing production support.
• Partner with Process and Manufacturing Engineering to optimize designs for tooling capability, process repeatability, manufacturability, and long-term production stability.
• Support prototype builds, validation testing, first article inspections, pilot production, tooling trials, and production-readiness activities.
• Participate in APQP activities, including design reviews, DFMEAs, PFMEAs, process flow diagrams, control plans, PPAP documentation, and launch-readiness reviews.
• Evaluate product performance through testing, capability studies, validation activities, and customer feedback.
• Customer, Supplier, and Cross-Functional Partnership
• Serve as the primary engineering contact for assigned products and customer development initiatives.
• Collaborate with customers, tooling suppliers, material suppliers, and manufacturing partners to develop robust production solutions.
• Participate in technical reviews, supplier evaluations, engineering change discussions, and product development meetings.
• Resolve technical and supplier-related issues through engineering analysis, root-cause identification, and corrective action.
• Communicate technical information clearly to customers, suppliers, leadership, and cross-functional partners.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation
• Lead improvement initiatives focused on product performance, reliability, manufacturability, quality, cost reduction, and customer satisfaction.
• Identify opportunities for material optimization, tooling enhancements, value engineering, and improved manufacturing efficiency.
• Research and apply emerging plastic materials, additive manufacturing methods, and product-development technologies.
• Support products and processes governed by ISO 9001, IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, customer-specific requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Provide technical guidance to Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Operations, Sales, Supply Chain, and Tooling teams.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering, Polymer Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least five years of engineering experience in plastics engineering, product development, manufacturing engineering, or new product development within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience developing plastic products using injection molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, or similar manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated experience leading new-product development activities from concept through production launch.
• Experience creating 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of material, specifications, and related engineering documentation.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks, Creo, CATIA, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, or comparable 3D CAD software.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, technical specifications, and plastics-processing requirements.
• Working knowledge of APQP, design reviews, DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, and PPAP.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project-management, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Seven or more years of relevant engineering experience.
• Automotive, Tier 1 supplier, commercial transportation, recreational vehicle, or specialty vehicle industry experience.
• Experience using additive manufacturing or 3D printing for rapid prototyping, design verification, tooling development, and proof-of-concept evaluations.
• Surface modeling or surfacing design experience.
• Experience with ISO 9001, IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, and customer-specific automotive requirements.
• Knowledge of MSA, SPC, process capability, 8D, Five Why, fishbone analysis, and root-cause analysis.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and value analysis/value engineering methodologies.
• Experience with ERP and PLM systems; familiarity with JD Edwards and Minitab is a plus.

Travel

This position requires the ability to travel up to 25% to support customer meetings, supplier development, tooling trials, prototype builds, validation activities, production launches, and HSM Solutions manufacturing locations.

Why Join Us?

• Health & Wellness: Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, including an innovative global healthcare option for qualified participants.
• Retire: 401(k) with company match, fully vested from day one.
• Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO: 3 Weeks of PTO + company paid holidays.
• On-Site Medical Clinics: Free for you and covered dependents.
• Teladoc: 24/7 access with no copay.
• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement, professional development assistance and career growth opportunities.
• Discounts: Enjoy discounts with HSM partners, including Dollywood Parks & Resort, Verizon Wireless, and more.

EEOC

At HSM, we believe that our diversity creates a productive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectionate or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.