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Molding Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Abbott

Principal Molding Engineer

Lake Forest, IL · On-site

As the Principal Molding Engineer , you'll will be responsible for the molding activities to attain strategic engineering objectives for the Abbott Diagnostics Division along with ensuring compliance ...

ICU Medical

Engineer II, Molding

Dublin, OH · On-site

Position Summary The Engineer II, Molding is responsible for supporting injection molding improvements through adherence to established product design, scientific injection molding process, tooling ...

ICU Medical

Engineer II, Molding

Dublin, OH

Position Summary The Engineer II, Molding is responsible for supporting injection molding improvements through adherence to established product design, scientific injection molding process, tooling ...

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Molding Engineer information

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$42K

$82.7K

$125.5K

How much do molding engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for molding engineer in the United States is $82,666.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,500.00 and $87,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Molding Engineer vs Tooling Engineer?

AspectMolding EngineerTooling Engineer
Primary FocusDesign, develop, and optimize molding processes for manufacturing plastic or metal partsDesign, develop, and maintain tools and dies used in manufacturing processes
Required SkillsKnowledge of molding machines, materials, process parametersExpertise in tool design, CAD/CAM, and machining
Work EnvironmentManufacturing plants, quality labsTool rooms, machine shops, manufacturing facilities
Common CertificationsManufacturing or process engineering certificationsTool design, CAD/CAM certifications

While both roles are integral to manufacturing, Molding Engineers focus on the overall molding process and product quality, whereas Tooling Engineers specialize in designing and maintaining the tools used in production. Both roles require technical skills and often collaborate to ensure efficient manufacturing operations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Molding Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Molding Engineer, you need a strong background in mechanical or manufacturing engineering, with expertise in injection molding processes and materials science, often supported by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with CAD software, mold flow analysis tools, and quality control systems is typically required, along with certifications like Six Sigma or RJG Master Molder. Problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with cross-functional teams and ensuring process optimization. These skills and qualifications are vital for producing high-quality molded products efficiently and maintaining consistent manufacturing standards.

What are some common challenges a Molding Engineer faces when optimizing production processes?

Molding Engineers often encounter challenges such as maintaining consistent quality across large production runs, minimizing cycle times, and troubleshooting defects like warping or sink marks. They must also balance material costs with performance requirements and adapt to changes in tooling or equipment. Effective collaboration with production teams, tool designers, and quality assurance is essential to identify root causes and implement solutions quickly, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.

What are Molding Engineers?

Molding Engineers are specialized professionals who design, develop, and optimize molding processes used to manufacture parts and products, typically from plastics or other moldable materials. They work with various molding techniques, such as injection molding, compression molding, and blow molding, to ensure quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in production. Their responsibilities include selecting appropriate materials, designing molds, troubleshooting defects, and improving existing processes. Molding Engineers often collaborate with product designers, quality engineers, and production teams to meet manufacturing goals.
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Molding Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Molding Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,666 per year, or $39.7 per hour.
Principal Molding Engineer

Principal Molding Engineer

Abbott

Lake Forest, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Re-posted 15 days ago

Abbott rating

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

Based on 136 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

156th of 528 rated manufacturers

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader, creating breakthrough science to improve people's health. We're always looking towards the future, anticipating changes in medical science and technology.
Working at Abbott
At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You'll also have access to:
  • Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
  • Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
  • An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
  • Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor's degree.
  • A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
  • A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity
This position works out of our Lake Forest, IL location in the Core Diagnostics Division We're empowering smarter medical and economic decision making to help transform the way people manage their health at all stages of life. Every day, more than 10 million tests are run on Abbott's diagnostics instruments, providing lab results for millions of people.
As the Principal Molding Engineer, you'll will be responsible for the molding activities to attain strategic engineering objectives for the Abbott Diagnostics Division along with ensuring compliance with safety regulations, policies, and procedures. An engineering professional who, working with little or no supervision, applies scientific knowledge, engineering knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to complete assignments related to molded and assembled consumables. Manages multiple, often concurrent, projects and meets department deadlines.
The Principal Molding Engineer is responsible for the implementation and ongoing support of molded plastic parts and will serve as a subject matter expert in the field of mold design and process within the regional engineering team. Manage molded commodities over life cycle including tactical and strategic activities to support ongoing business such as product, process, quality, and cost improvement initiatives, supplier, and resin changes, obsolescence. Troubleshoot molding issues in conjunction with supplier and lead/support internal investigations as needed. The person hired will work closely with molding suppliers to ensure reliable supply of parts in addition to the below.
What You'll Work On
  • Responsible for utilizing and working within the Quality System in order to maintain effectiveness of the system.
  • Perform capacity analysis for molds, presses and assembly automation and make recommendations for future investment.
  • Concurrent management of multiple projects.
  • Development of cost estimates for capital and expense.
  • Regularly interact with molding suppliers to meet quality and cost objectives.
  • Lead the mold design activities in coordination with mold suppliers, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and validation of molding manufacturing cells in accordance with division engineering best practices and procedures.
  • Drive Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) for assigned projects.
  • Create and maintain project schedules, oversee cross-functional team activities to achieve program objectives - Transfer of molds to new suppliers, startup of new suppliers.
  • Maintain project controls and reporting for cost scope and schedule; develop execution strategy including procurement support; balance multiple demands within assignment, e.g., execute contingency plans to recover from schedule slippage or financial overruns.
  • Interface frequently with inter-organization and outside customer contacts. Represent the organization in providing solutions to difficult technical issues associated with projects.
  • Have awareness of the potential consequences (defects & failure modes) of design changes to established processes.
  • Act as the subject matter expert for injection mold design reviews and development of an entire molding manufacturing cell with low and high cavitation molds.
  • Participate in cross-functional teams to investigate and resolve molding issues.
  • Specify all molding cell equipment from mold, molding machines, EoAT, machine side automation, etc. including process design and development, tooling/automation design, procurement, and qualification plan.
  • Full understanding and development of the relationship between molding key process input variables (KPIVs) and key process output variables (KPOVs) for plastic components throughout the value stream.
  • Drive Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at equipment manufacturers per ADD equipment URS and mold build standards.
  • Write specifications, design verification/validation protocols and report.
  • Provide technical process support to other engineers within the group and mentor and develop junior team members.
  • Read, challenge, develop and maintain a working knowledge of Quality Procedures and Work Instructions and apply knowledge to support completion of mold qualification.
  • Lead new mold testing and sampling, DOEs, material sampling, engineering changes, etc.
  • Internal lead for supplier driven changes impacting molding equipment.
  • Capacity planning in alignment with long term plan and short-term changes in demand.
  • Will work regularly with operations, supply chain, quality and various suppliers and perform capacity analysis for molds, injection molding machines, and makes recommendations for future investment.
  • Manage measurement system analysis, design control and execution of equipment selection, process development, validation, FMEA and Design of Experiments (DOEs).

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering or technical disciplining desired, or equivalent experience plus demonstrated competence.
  • 5+ years technical work experience with 3+ years of plastic injection and/or blow molding design and process support experience, preferably in the medical device industry.
  • Knowledge of plastics processes, resins, tooling required.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering in a technical discipline such as Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, etc.
  • Knowledge of mold making and design fundamentals, molding process development, plastic resin behavior and required tooling/equipment.
  • 5+ years technical work experience with 3+ years of plastic injection and/or blow molding design and process support experience
  • Knowledge of plastics processes, resins, tooling required.
  • 8+ years of experience in a molding engineering position preferably in the diagnostics or medical device industry.
  • Knowledge of FDA QSR's and ISO requirements preferred.
  • Knowledge of PFMEA and DFMEA.
  • Knowledge of Abbott's internal Design Plan process.
  • Working knowledge of MS Office products including MS Word and advanced MS Excel and PowerPoint capability.
  • Must have proven ability to participate in team atmosphere, exhibit and create a sense of urgency and maintain effective working relationships with peers, customers, and vendors.

* Participants who complete a short wellness assessment qualify for FREE coverage in our HIP PPO medical plan. Free coverage applies in the next calendar year.
Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com
Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.
The base pay for this position is
$99,300.00 - $198,700.00
In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.
JOB FAMILY:
Product Development
DIVISION:
CRLB Core Lab
LOCATION:
United States > Lake Forest : CP01
ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS:
WORK SHIFT:
Standard
TRAVEL:
Yes, 5 % of the Time
MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE:
No
SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES:
Awkward/forceful/repetitive (arms above shoulder, bent wrists), Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous walking for prolonged periods (more than 2 hours at a time in an 8 hour day), Exposure to temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit/16 degrees Celsius or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit/28 degrees Celsius on a regular basis, Lift, carry, push or pull weights of more than 20 pounds/9 kilos on a regular/daily basis, Routine work with chemicals, Wear ear plugs, Work requiring repeated bending, stooping, squatting or kneeling
Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.
EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf
EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf

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