Senior Production Engineer - Injection Molding

Position: Senior Production Engineer – Injection Molding

Department: Production – Injection Molding

Reporting To: Head – Production

Team: Leads the Injection Molding Line Engineers across shifts

Location: Hosur, Tamil Nadu

Role Purpose

Own the safe, on-time and high-quality output of the injection molding shop floor at our office chair manufacturing plant by leading the Line Engineers, driving OEE and cycle-time improvement, reducing defects and downtime, and building a strong, skilled molding team.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & People Development:
• Lead, guide and review the performance of Line Engineers across all shifts; allocate lines, machines and responsibilities.
• Set clear shift-wise goals and KPIs for Line Engineers and hold them accountable for results.
• Train and mentor Line Engineers on machine settings, defect diagnosis, safety and quality checks; build multi-skilled backups.
• Ensure disciplined shift handovers and effective supervision of operators, helpers and technicians through the Line Engineers.
• Production Planning & Delivery:
• Convert daily and weekly production schedules into shift-wise targets and ensure plan adherence.
• Plan machine–mold allocation and capacity utilization; flag material, mold or manpower constraints early.
• Review daily production reports, track plan vs actual and drive corrective actions for gaps.
• Process Optimization & OEE:
• Own OEE, cycle time, rejection and scrap for the molding shop and drive continuous improvement.
• Standardize process parameters and machine setting sheets; approve and control any parameter changes.
• Reduce mold changeover time and downtime through structured planning and SMED practices.
• Mold, Machine & Maintenance Coordination:
• Oversee mold changeovers and ensure they are executed with minimal downtime.
• Coordinate with the tool room for preventive maintenance, minor repairs and resolution of mold issues such as alignment, temperature variation and venting.
• Coordinate with the maintenance team for preventive and breakdown maintenance of machines, chillers and ancillary equipment.
• Quality, Material & Defect Management
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for defects such as flash, short shots, sink marks, warping and burn marks.
• Work with the QC team on first-part approvals, batch audits and corrective actions.
• Ensure correct material loading (PP, PPGF, Nylon, ABS, etc.) with proper drying and temperature control.
• Ensure traceability of material lots and batches for every production order.
• Trials, NPD & Continuous Improvement
• Lead trials for new molds, designs and materials in collaboration with design/NPD and the tool room.
• Drive Kaizen activities, process audits and waste elimination initiatives across the molding shop.
• Safety & Compliance
• Ensure safe working practices, 5S and adherence to SOPs and work instructions on the molding floor.
• Maintain production, downtime and quality records and present regular performance reviews to management.

Requirements

• Diploma / Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Production or Plastics Engineering; CIPET qualified candidates preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in injection molding, including team-handling experience.
• Proven experience in plastic part manufacturing (furniture, automotive or consumer goods); experience with office chair or furniture components is an advantage.
• Strong understanding of plastic flow behavior and defect diagnosis (warpage, sink, flash, etc.).
• Hands-on knowledge of materials such as PP, PPGF, Nylon and ABS, and of basic mold/tooling.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings.
• Working knowledge of OEE, Lean/Kaizen and root cause analysis.
• Strong leadership, shift-management and communication skills.

Key KPIs

• OEE
• Production plan adherence
• Cycle-time adherence
• Rejection and scrap %
• Mold changeover time
• Machine and mold downtime
• First-pass yield
• Safety and 5S compliance