Skilled - Lead Mold Maker

Position Title:

Lead Mold Maker

Wage: $45.00-$50.00/hour

Shift: 1st

Hours:

6:30am-3:30pm Mequon, WI.

We are seeking an experienced Lead Mold Maker to provide hands-on technical leadership within a tool room supporting high-volume rigid plastic manufacturing. This is a direct hire opportunity in Mequon, WI.

• Tool Room Leadership - Lead daily tool room activities and prioritize mold changeovers, repairs, preventative maintenance, and production support
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for complex mold troubleshooting and repairs
• Mentor and develop tool room personnel
• Establish and maintain best practices for mold repair, preventative maintenance, and documentation
• Maintain appropriate inventories of tooling parts and department supplies
• Coordinate with outside vendors for specialized tooling and repair services as needed

• Build new mold components and modify, maintain, and repair injection and/or blow molds used in plastic manufacturing
• Perform precision machining using mills, lathes, grinders, EDM equipment, polishing equipment, and other tool room machinery
• Diagnose and correct mold-related problems, including flash, short shots, dimensional variation, cosmetic defects, and tooling damage
• Troubleshoot various manifold/hot runner heating systems and perform necessary repairs
• Work with hot runner systems, slides, lifters, and complex multi-cavity molds
• Use Solid Works and Mastercam to interpret mold geometry, develop machining strategies, and support repairs or new component builds
• Perform precision mold fitting while maintaining tight tolerances
• Troubleshoot and service hydraulic and pneumatic components related to tooling
• Perform basic electrical troubleshooting as it relates to molds and tooling
• Support mold sampling, tryouts, and new product launches as needed

• Identify tooling and mold design improvements that can increase mold life, improve cycle times, enhance part quality, and reduce downtime
• Develop and support preventative maintenance programs
• Participate in mold design revisions and cost-saving initiatives
• Support continuous improvement programs utilizing Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies

• Maintain dimensional accuracy and tight tolerances on all tooling work
• Follow established safety procedures, tool room standards, and manufacturing practices
• Support quality requirements related to product specifications and customer expectations
• Safely operate overhead cranes for movement of large injection molds and tooling
• Safely operate forklifts and other material-handling equipment
• Follow all applicable food safety, quality, PPE, and manufacturing procedures

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree or technical-school education preferred
• 7+ years of mold-making experience within plastics manufacturing required
• Strong experience with plastic injection molding preferred
• Experience supporting high-volume plastics manufacturing strongly preferred
• State-indentured Journeyman Mold Maker certification/card required
• Strong experience with hot runner systems, slides, lifters, and complex multi-cavity molds
• Advanced knowledge of mold repair, mold fitting, precision machining, and troubleshooting
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, CAD drawings, tooling schematics, and technical documentation
• Experience with Solid Works and Mastercam in a tool room environment
• Ability to operate mills, lathes, grinders, EDM equipment, and common tool room machinery
• Working knowledge of hydraulic, pneumatic, and basic electrical systems as they relate to tooling
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting and root-cause problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently while also providing technical direction and leadership to others
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and other Windows-based applications
• Extended periods of standing, reaching, bending, and working around injection molding equipment
• Frequently lift and carry up to 50 pounds
• Occasionally lift and carry up to 75 pounds
• Safely climb and work around plastic injection molding presses
• Operate overhead cranes and large forklifts
• Work safely around moving mechanical equipment and manufacturing machinery
• Wear required PPE, including safety glasses and hearing protection

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.