Principal Polymer Processing Engineer, Injection Molding

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Florida.

📋 Description

• Enhance injection molding capabilities, polymer processing technologies, and manufacturing performance throughout CONMED.

• Provide technical guidance on plastic-part design geometry, conceptualization of injection molds, manufacturing and performance testing, selection of molding-cell equipment, process optimization and qualification, as well as ongoing production support.

• Act as a technical advisor and subject matter expert for molders, molding equipment, process optimization, mold design, tooling engineering, metrology, MSA, and quality-engineering capability assessments.

• Lead the development, optimization, qualification, and validation of intricate injection molding processes, equipment, molds, and associated technologies.

• Establish processing strategies based on polymer science, material characteristics, part and mold design, equipment capabilities, and product requirements.

• Utilize scientific molding principles and structured experimentation to determine processing windows, ensuring repeatable, capable, and controlled processes.

• Provide technical direction for tight-tolerance, complex-geometry, engineered-resin, high-performance-polymer, multi-material, insert-molding, and overmolding applications.

• Assess emerging polymer-processing technologies and propose investment opportunities.

• Create and maintain technical standards, engineering practices, design guidelines, specifications, and methodologies for process development.

• Collaborate with R&D, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and Supply Chain on new product development and transfers.

• Offer design-for-manufacturability advice regarding polymer selection, molded-part geometry, tooling, tolerances, gating, cooling, shrinkage, warpage, and process capability.

• Supervise mold-flow analysis, tool-design reviews, mold production and testing, process characterization, equipment testing, and manufacturing-readiness assessments.

• Manage transitions from development through validation, commercialization, and sustained production.

• Define critical process parameters and assist with inspection, monitoring, and control strategies.

• Develop or approve protocols, reports, engineering studies, acceptance criteria, statistical analyses, and supporting documentation.

• Ensure adherence to quality-system requirements, engineering standards, regulatory expectations, and internal procedures.

• Support FMEAs, control plans, process-risk assessments, technical investigations, audits, inspections, and customer inquiries.

• Resolve intricate molding and tooling challenges that impact safety, quality, delivery, capacity, cost, and customer service.

• Enhance cycle time, scrap, yield, process capability, automation, tooling, material utilization, reliability, variation, and equipment effectiveness.

• Assist with capital-equipment selection, supplier evaluation, installation, qualification, and production implementation.

• Direct design/material changes, product and process transfers, supplier transitions, capacity expansion, and manufacturing-network initiatives.

• Formulate technically supported business cases and recommendations.

• Serve as a technical consultant to engineering teams, operations leaders, project teams, and senior management.

• Lead cross-functional initiatives involving products, departments, suppliers, and manufacturing locations.

• Build partnerships with equipment manufacturers, toolmakers, resin suppliers, contract manufacturers, consultants, and external technical resources.

• Mentor engineers, technicians, molders, and manufacturing professionals; develop training and repeatable engineering methodologies.

• Contribute to CONMED’s long-term roadmap for polymer processing and manufacturing technology.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Polymer Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related technical field.

• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible engineering experience in injection molding, polymer processing, plastics manufacturing, tooling, or closely related manufacturing technologies.

• At least 2 years of experience in troubleshooting noncompliance issues with injection molded parts and identifying root causes across part design, raw materials, molding processes, molds, equipment, inspection, packaging, storage, and transit.

• A minimum of 2 years leading complex technical projects and influencing decisions across multiple functions.

• Experience in developing or reviewing engineering protocols, validation documents, technical reports, specifications, risk assessments, and process documentation.

• Experience in a regulated environment such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, automotive, aerospace, or similarly controlled manufacturing settings.

• Knowledge of injection molding of medical-device components or other high-precision, high-reliability products.

• Familiarity with FDA quality-system requirements, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, good manufacturing practices, and expectations for process validation.

• Expertise in specialized processes like insert molding, overmolding, micro-molding, multi-shot molding, silicone molding, high-temperature materials, or bio-compatible polymers.

• Proficient in mold-flow simulation and analysis tools.

• Experience with automation, in-mold sensing, process-monitoring systems, machine connectivity, or advanced manufacturing controls.

• Background working with toolmakers, resin suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and contract manufacturers.

• Experience with mold design conceptualization, mold manufacturing, mold functional performance testing, and mold predictive and preventive maintenance programs.

• Proven expertise in injection molding process development, optimization, validation, troubleshooting, and mold design/performance testing.

• Advanced understanding of thermoplastic materials, polymer behavior, resin handling, drying, rheology, shrinkage, warpage, degradation, and material-process interactions.

• Demonstrated experience in applying scientific molding principles, design of experiments, statistical analysis, process-capability methods, and structured root-cause analysis.

• Proven ability to independently identify problems, evaluate technical alternatives, and deliver sustainable solutions to complex engineering challenges.

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and technical documentation skills.

• Please note that this position is not eligible for employer-based sponsorship.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation.

• Excellent healthcare benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.

• Short and long-term disability plus life insurance, fully covered by CONMED.

• Retirement Savings Plan (401K) with CONMED matching your contributions dollar for dollar, up to 7% per pay period.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan that allows stock purchases at a discounted price.

• Tuition assistance for both undergraduate and graduate level courses.

• Incentives through the Employee Referral Program.